THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

Rare  Book  Room 
GIFT  OF 

John  W,  Beckman 


66  t 


'l*^ 


', 


KELLY  NASH, 


OR 


'I  DIDN'T   THINK. 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF  THE  BLUE  FLAG,  CHEERILY, 
CHEERILY,  ETC. 


"PONDER  THE  PATH  OF  THY  FEET." 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 
AMERICAN  TEACT  SOCIETY, 

150  NASSAU-STREET,  NEW  YORK. 


The  main  incident  of  this  story  occur 
red  in  this  country  many  years  since. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863,  by  the 
AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court 
of  the  Southern  District  of  the  State  of  New  York. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
A  June  Morning 


CHAPTER  II. 
Kelly's  Home  ....................................     15 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Cooper's  Cottage-  .............................    25 

CHAPTER  IV. 
•J    New  Quarters  .....................................    36 

CHAPTER  V. 
Annie  Ingalls  .........................  -  ...........    46 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Annie's  Secret  ....................................    62 

CHAPTER,  VII. 
Farmer  Dodkins  ..................................    73 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Kelly  forced  to  Think 


CHAPTER  IX. 
KirkwoodBun 89 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  Hospital 108 

CHAPTER  XL 
Love  and  Duty 115 

CHAPTER  XII. 
A  Trying  Interview 124 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Conclusion 131 


KELLY  NASH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  JUNE  MORNING. 

H*AD  Jack  Frost  been  at  his  pranks 
on  a  bright  June  morning  ?  That  could 
hardly  be,  and  yet  somebody  or  some 
thing  had  been  imitating  the  winter-king's 
work  so  well,  that  you  rubbed  your  eyes 
and  thought  it  must  be  December  instead 
of  June. 

Kelly  Nash  was  standing  in  a  long, 
low  room,  looking  leisurely  about  him. 
He  had  a  broom  in  his  hand,  but  as  yet 
it  was  as  idle  a  broom  as  if  it  were  still 
waving  above  the  rustling  corn.  The 
pleasant  sunlight  was  streaming  in  through 
an  open  door.  Into  every  chink  and 


6  KELLY   NASH. 

crevice  it  peered,  as  if  determined  to 
leave  no  lurking-place  for  the  conquered 
darkness. 

The  floor  of  the  room  was  as  wh^te  as 
if  covered  with  the  hoar-frost,  and  every 
nail  of  Kelly's  boots  had  left  its  print,  as 
he  had  walked  from  the  door  to  the  place 
where  the  broom  had  been  hanging.  The 
bare  beams  which  supported  the  ceiling 
had  their  white  coating,  and  every  jag 
ged,  rough  splinter  seemed  to  have  put 
out  its  little  hand  to  get  a  share  of  the 
snow-like  covering,  so  generously  spread 
abroad.  The  slender  cobwebs  had  be 
come  white  drapery,  falling  in  such  heavy 
festoons,  that  the  flies  would  have  been 
silly  indeed  to  have  been  caught  in  such 
clumsy  traps. 

"Round  the  house,  round  the  house, 
And  leaves  a  white  glove  in  every  window," 

says  the  old  riddle ;  and  so  some  myste 
rious  work  had  been  going  on  in  the 


A  JUNE   MOENING.  T 

night,  leaving  white  tokens  everj^where, 
while  all  the  good  people  of  Kirkwood 
had  been  fast  asleep. 

Kelly  Nash  did  not  seem  to  think  there 
was  any  riddle  for  him  to  unfold,  nor 
did  he  fancy  he  was  in  an  enchanted  pal 
ace,  because  the  very  floor  shook  under 
him,  and  the  whole  building  trembled 
and  thrilled  like  the  frame  of  a  steamer 
when  the  great  engine  is  at  work. 

After  a  complacent  glance  about  him, 
Kelly  opened  a  small  door,  and  looked 
for  a  moment  into  the  great  dark  room 
in  which  a  huge  wheel  was  going  round 
and  round,  plashing  and  dripping  at  every 
turn.  Kelly  had  been  in  a  mill  before. 
He  understood  the  secret  of  the  white 
dust  from  the  flour,  which  coated  and 
sprinkled  every  thing  with  its  signs  of 
plenty  to  come.  Many  a  time  had  he 
gone  home  at  evening  with  his  crisp 
brown  curls  powdered,  and  his  very  eye- 


8  KELLY   NASH. 

lashes  as  white  as  his  grandfather's.  Yet 
nobocty  ever  took  Kelly  Nash  for  an  old 
man.  There  was  too  merry  a  twinkle  in 
his  blue  eye  for  that.  It  was  plain  that 
all  the  nonsens-e  of  boyhood  had  not  been 
taken  out  of  him. 

Kelly  knew  very  well  that  it  was  his 
business  to  sweep  the  floor,  and  rob  the 
window-seats  of  their  soft  covering  be 
fore  any  one  else  should  come  in.  Yet 
there  , he  stood,  leaning  again  on  his 
broom,  and  watching  two  figures  that 
were  slowly  approaching  the  mill.  Kel 
ly  knew  every  boy  and  girl  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Kirkwood,  at  least  by  sight, 
and  with  most  of  them  he  had  exchanged 
greetings  of  war  or  peace — too  frequent 
ly  the  former,  for  his  good  reputation  in 
the  village.  Kelly  was  very  sure  he 
had  never  seen  that  slender  lad  before. 
His  straw  hat  bound  with  green  was  of 
a  fashion  new  in  Kirkwood,  arid  his 


A   JUNE   MOBNING.  9 

clothes  of  blue  check  had  not  their  match 
in  school-r£om  or  work-shop.  The  lit 
tle  girl  skipping  at  his  side  had  a  trim, 
tidy  look  to  which  Kelly  was  unaccus 
tomed,  and  her  starched  pink  sun-bon 
net,  of  the  Quaker  pattern,  set  Kelly  off 
into  one  of  his  merry  laughs,  in  wrhich 
nobody  could  help  joining,  senseless  as 
they  were. 

"Who  are  youV  said  Kelly,  as  the 
children  paused  and  looked  in  at  the 
door  of  the  mill. 

The  boy  did  not  condescend  to  give 
any  other  reply  than  a  quiet  glance  of 
his  dark  eye ;  but  the  little  girl  lifted  her 
round,  cheerful  face  and  answered,  "  We 
are  the  new  cooper.  We  only  came  yes 
terday." 

"The  new  cooper!'7  repeated  Kelly 
with  a  laugh.  "Well,  I  hope  you  are  a 
good  hand  at  the  business.77 

"Is  this  the  mill?77   asked  the  little 


10  KELLY   NASH. 

girl,  as  though  never  dreaming  that  any 
one  could  be  laughing  at  her. 

"Yes,  this  is  Kirkwood  mill;  and  1 7m 
Kelly  Nash,  the  best  fellow  in  the  place. 
Everybody  likes  me ;  and  I  like  myself, 
to  be  in  the  fashion.  Wont  you  walk  in, 
miss,  and  see  what  we  have  to  show?" 

Kelly  did  not  note  the  dark  look  on 
the  face  of  th&  tall  lad,  who  lingered  at 
the  door  as  the  little  girl  went  in. 

"What's  that?77  said  the  visitor,  as 
she  surveyed  the  patent  scales  near  her. 

"Oh,  that's  our  machine  for  weighing 
people,"  said  Kelly.  "When  any  body 
comes  to  Kirkwood,  we  always  have 
them  weighed  at  once,  to  see  how  much 
they  gain  here.  If  they  grow  very  fat, 
they  have  to  pay  a  town  tax,  to  get  the 
thin  folks  a  Christmas  dinner.  Step  up 
and  be  weighed,  miss — you  did  n't  tell 
me  your  name.77 

The  child  did  not  regard  the  mocking 


A  JUNE   MOKNING.  11 

tone  in  which  she  was  addressed,  and 
she  answered  simply,  "My  name  is  An 
nie  Ingalls,  and  that  is  my  brother  Tru 
man.  Take  iny  bonnet,  wont  you?  I 
want  to  be  fair.77 

As  she  spoke  she  stepped  on  the  scales, 
holding  out  her  clean  bonnet  to  Kelly. 

If  Annie  Ingalls  had  been  going  to  be 
put  up  for  sale  after  the  weighing,  there 
would  doubtless  have  been  many  a  pur 
chaser.  She  looked  well  worth  every 
pound  of  her  weight  in  gold,  as  she  stood 
there  in  her  sweet,  trustful  simplicity, 
feeling  kindly  towards  all  the  world,  and 
ready  to  believe  that  same  world  as  lov 
ing  as  herself.  It  was  not  her  fresh, 
glowing  cheeks,  or  the  soft  turn  of  her 
brown  hair  that  gave  the  charm  to  her 
appearance,  but  a  something  which  comes 
not  from  flesh  and  blood  beauty,  but  is 
the  light  of  the  soul,  shining  through  the 
living  case  wherein  it  dwells  for  a  season. 


12  KELLY  NASH. 

Kelly  felt  inwardly  ashamed  of  him 
self,  as  he  looked  into  her  clear  brown 
eye ;  and  yet  he  was  too  fond  of  fun  to 
be  stopped  in  a  joke  by  a  prick  of  con 
science. 

"Just  thirty  pounds/7  said  Kelly,  pre 
tending  to  look  carefully  at  the  fine  num 
bering  on  the  scales. 

"Is  that  all?  thank  you/7  said  Annie, 
as  she  stepped  down  from  the  platform. 
The  tracks  of  her  small  feet  on  the  floor 
marked  the  straight  line  by  which  she 
moved  to  the  door,  where  her  brother 
was  still  standing.  l '  Wont  you  be  weigh 
ed  too/7  she  said,  as  she  looked  up  into 
the  face  of  the  lad. 

There  was  a  flash  in  his  dark  eye,  and 
an  indignant  toss  of  his  head,  as  he  walk 
ed  quickly  up  to  Kelly,  exclaiming, 

"You  have  not  told  the  truth.  You 
have  not  weighed  Annie  fairly,  and  you 
have  been  laughing  at  her  all  the  time 


A  JUNE   MORNING.  13 

that  she  thought  you  were  doing  her  a 
kindness.77 

"And  who  are  you?77  said  Kelly,  lean 
ing  on  his  broom,  and  giving  a  long  low 
whistle. 

Truman  laid  his  hand  firmly  "on  Kel 
ly's  shoulder,  and  seemed  about  to  com 
mence  a  trial  of  strength  that  would  have 
ended  in  no  good. 

" Truman,  dear  Truman,  please  don/t,77 
urged  Annie.  "You  know  father  sent 
us  on  an  errand ;  he  will  want  an  answer. 
Kelly,  when  does  Mr.  Hilger  the  miller 
come  into  his  office  ?  Father  wants  to 
see  him.77 

"He  711  be  here  in  five  minutes,77  said 
Kelly,  coming  to  himself,  "and  a  pretty 
row  there  711  be  if  this  floor  is  not  as 
clean  as  the  back  of  his  hand  just  out  of 
the  wash-basin.  Time  has  slipped  off, 
while  I  Ve  been  fooling.77 

Kelly  began  to  whisk  his  broom  about, 


14  KELLY   NASH. 

leaving  long  waving  lines,  like  locks  of 
hoary  hair  dropped  carelessly  on  the  dull 
brown  boards. 

"Let  me  help  you,"  said  Annie  cheer 
fully.  ' '  I  know  mother  would  not  mind 
my  stopping  a  minute." 

Kelly  was  right  glad  of  help,  and  he 
handed  a  broom  to  his  little  companion, 
who  soon  proved  herself  a  valuable  as 
sistant.  Annie  did  not  speak  one  word, 
but  she  kept  at  her  task  till  the  floor  of 
the  great  room  was  as  clean  as  the  hearth 
stone  in  her  mother's  shining  kitchen. 

' '  Good-morning,  Kelly,"  she  said  pleas 
antly,  and  then  she  lightly  skipped  away. 

Kelly  Nash  was  puzzled  by  the  little 
stranger.  There  was  something  about 
her  that  he  did  not  understand.  He  did 
not  dream  that  she  had  been  deliberately 
returning  good  for  evil.  He  knew  little 
of  the  law  of  love,  which  was  the  rule  of 
Annie  Ingalls'  daily  life. 


KELLY'S   HOME.  15 

CHAPTER  II. 

KELLY'S  HOM!Ek 

THE  western  sky  was  glorious  with  the 
golden  hues  of  the  setting  sun.  Kelly 
Nash  had  no  eye  for  the  beauties  of  na 
ture.  He  went  whistling  on  his  way  up 
the  valley,  not  once  noticing  how  the 
pine  trees  seemed  to  be  all  on  fire,  and 
how  every  blade  of  grass  was  shining 
like  an  emerald,  as  it  shimmered  in  the 
sunset  light.  Kelly  had  a  stick  in  his 
hand,  and  he  switched  off  the  top  of  the 
mullen  stalks,  without  seeing  the  tender 
young  leaves,  the  " lambs7  ears,77  that 
clustered  so  woolly  and  soft  at  their  foot. 
If  they  had  been  real  bleating  lambs, 
Kelly  would  have  been  sure  to  have 
seen  them,  and  to  have  made  them  scam 
per  away  quickly  enough,  with  no  very 
good  opinion  of  the  merry-faced  boy 


16  KELLY   NASH. 

who  was  turning  his  back  on  Kirkwood. 
Kelly  Nash  did  not  live  in  the  village. 
Morning  and  evening  he  had  a  walk 
along  the  banks  of  Kirkwood  Run,  as 
pretty  a  walk  as  could  be  found  the 
country  round.  But,  as  we  have  said 
before,  Kelly  had  no  eye  for  the  beau 
ties  of  nature,  nor  had  he  the  devout 
heart  which  loves  the  works  of  the  Crea 
tor  because  they  have  come  from  the 
hand  of  the  All-loving  and  the  All-wise. 
If  you  had  met  Kelly  returning  from  the 
mill,  you  would  have  fancied  that  he  was 
going  towards  some  bright  pleasant  home, 
where  cheerful  faces  and  a  warm  greet 
ing  awaited  him.  Kelly's  home  was  a 
mere  hovel,  a  shelter  against  wind  and 
storm.  Bee,  bird,  or  beaver  could  boast 
a  more  trim  and  tasteful  dwelling-place. 
A  narrow  path  wound  up  to  the  old  log 
hut  perched  on  the  hill-side.  No  little 
noses  were  flattened  against  the  panes  of 


KELLY'S   HOME.  17 

the  one  small  front-window.  No  little 
brothers  and  sisters  were  looking  out  for 
Kelly,  ready  to  jump  into  his  arms. 

A  slender  column  of  smoke  was  going 
up  from  the  chimney  of  the  poor  cottage. 
Was  a  warm  supper  being  made  ready 
for  Kelly?  Ah,  no.  Over  the  fire  of 
brush-wood  an  old  man  was  cowering, 
shivering  at  the  pleasant  coolness  of  the 
evening,  which  sent  the  young  blood  glad 
ly  leaping  through  Kelly's  veins. 

"Cold,  grandpa?77  said  Kelly  as  he 
opened  the  door;  "well,  that's  funny; 
1 7m  as  warm  as  toast.77 

"Wait  till  you  get  to  be  my  age,  and 
then  you7ll  see,77  said  the  old  man,  hold 
ing  his  thin  hands  over  the  blaze. 

Certainly  it  was  not  for  lack  of  cloth 
ing  that  the  speaker  was  suffering.  "Old 
Nash,77  as  the  villagers  called  Kelly's 
grandfather,  had  but  one  style  of  dress 
for  winter  and  summer,  in  doors  and  out 

Kelly  Na«h.  2 


18  KELLY   NASH. 

of  doors.  His  short  thin  person  was  al 
ways  nearly  covered  by  his  long,  shabby 
overcoat,  and  far  down  on  his  forehead 
was  settled  a  great  bell-crowned  hat, 
which  evidently  had  not  been  made  for 
the  wearer.  Yet  no  one  ever  thought  of 
laughing  at  "Old  Nash."  The  silver 
hair  which  strayed  about  his  temples  of 
course  ought  to  have  protected  him  from 
such  attacks,  for  it  is  a  sin  to  mock  at 
the  hoary  head ;  but  it  was  not  his  age 
alone  which  secured  for  "Old  Nash"  re 
spect  in  his  poverty.  There  was  a  kind 
ly  and  innocent  look  in  the  small  face  of 
the  old  man,  that  won  upon  a  stranger 
like  the  countenance  of  a  trusting  child. 
"Old  Nash"  was  a  privileged  charac 
ter  in  Kirkwood.  He  had  his  poor  hut 
free  of  rent,  and  liberty  to  feed  the  fire 
over  which  he  liked  to  hover,  from  any 
body's  woods  or  wood-pile  as  pleased 
him  best.  The  rude  baskets  he  wove 


KELLY'S   HOME.  19 

with  his  trembling  fingers  but  half  sup 
plied  the  means  of  his  scanty  support, 
which  was  eked  out  by  a  slender  pittance 
from  the  town. 

When  "Old  Nash 'V  first  appeared  in 
Kirkwood,  he  was  leading  by  the  hand 
a  light-haired  boy  who  could  just  toddle 
at  his  side.  The  poor  wanderer  could 
not  without  weeping  tell  his  storj^  of  sor 
row,  how  one  stroke  had  left  the  child 
an  orphan  and  the  old  man  without  an 
arm  to  lean  upon.  He  had  turned  his 
back  on  the  sad  scene  of  his  bereave 
ment,  to  find  a  home  among  kindly  stran 
gers.  It  was  a  gaod  providence  which 
guided  the  poor  broken-down  man  to 
Kirkwood,  where  he  found  what  he  so 
earnestly  sought  for  himself  and  his  help 
less  charge. 

Yes,  all  the  weary  years  of  his  life,  a 
good  providence  had  been  around  and 
about  "  Old  N&sh  •"  yet  he  had  not  heard 


20  KELLY   NASH. 

the  voice  of  his  heavenly  Father,  nor  re 
membered  Him  in  all  his  ways.  He  had 
not  taught  little  Kelly  to  fold  his  hands 
in  prayer,  or  to  strive  to  follow  the  ex 
ample  of  that  Saviour  who  was  pure  and 
perfect,  though  clothed  in  the  form  of 
sinful  man. 

Kelly  had  had  his  own  way  far  too 
much  for  his  good.  "Old  Nash"  had 
never  laid  hands  on  the  boy  to  correct 
him ;  and  indeed  the  simple  creature  soon 
learned  to  look  up  to  Kelly  as  if  he  were 
the  stronger  and  the  wiser  of  the  two — 
a  view  of  things  of  which  the  merry- 
hearted  lad  wholly  approved. 

Kelly  had  by  nature  a  sunny  temper  - 
and  an  abounding  cheerfulness,  which 
seemed  to  thrive  as  well  in  the  shade  of 
his  hovel-like  home  as  it  could  in  a  pal 
ace.  With  youth  and  health  on  his  side, 
he  cared  little  for  hard  fare  and  hard 
bed,  and  when  in  due  time  hard  work 


KELLY'S   HOME.  21 

became  his  lot,  lie  took  to  that  as  pleas 
antly  as  to  the  rest  of  his  fate.  He  did 
not  expect  to  find  a  hot  supper  awaiting 
him  on  his  return  from  the  mill,  and  was 
not  at  all  surprised  to  see  his  grandfather 
just  where  he  always  found  him,  cower 
ing  over  the  fire.  Kelly  knew  that  in 
the  quiet  corner  cupboard  there  was  a 
loaf  of  bread,  and  he  had  but  to  go  leap 
ing  down  the  hill  and  he  could  get  a  cup 
of  pure  water  from  the  best  spring  in  the 
County. 

Of  this  simple  supper  Kelly  ate  heart 
ily,  without  one  thought  of  gratitude  to 
Him  who  giveth  the  ravens  food,  and 
appointeth  to  all  men  their  daily  bread. 

There  was  but  a  crust  to  put  back  in 
the  empty  cupboard,  but  Kelly  was  not 
troubled  with  anxious  thoughts  for  the 
morrow ;  so  he  shut  the  door  and  then 
sat  down  near  his  grandfather,  for  their 
usual  evening  talk. 


22  KELLY   NASH. 

"  Well,  lad/7  said  the  old  man,  looking 
into  the  bright  young  face  beside  him. 

"Well,  grandpa,77  was  the  reply,  and 
Kelly7s  hand  was  laid  on  the  old  man's 
back  with  what  might  have  been  meant 
for  a  love-tap,  but  would  have  been  more 
appropriate  as  medical  aid  to  an  alder 
man  in  danger  of  choking. 

The  two  looked  each  other  in  the  eye 
for  a  moment  in  silence.  It  was  plain 
that  " Old  Nash77  had  something  particu 
lar  to  say,  but  did  not  know  how  to  be 
gin.  Kelly  helped  him  by  starting  up 
suddenly,  and  kicking  a  bundle  that  he 
had  just  spied  in  the  corner. 

"  What7s  this?  What's  this,  grandpa?77 
said  the  boy,  tossing  the  bundle  about. 

"Old  Nash77  looked  on  helplessly,  and 
did  not  try  to  speak,  until  Kelly  paused 
and  stood  for  a  moment  beside  him. 

"That7s  my  bundle,  and  there  7s  my 
stick.  It  7s  a  strong  one.  It  took  me  all 


KELLY'S   HOME.  23 

the  morning  to  pick  it  out.  I  wish  you 
could  go  with  me,  Kelly ;  but  you  can't— 
you  can't  leave  the  mill.  They  could  n't 
get  on  without  you.'7 

"  Where  are  you  going,  grandpa?"  in 
terrupted  Kelly  most  unceremoniously. 

"I  want  to  see  the  old  place,  Kelly. 
You  do  n't  remember ;  you  were  too 
young.  They  laid  'em  side  by  side." 

Here  the  old  man  choked,  and  couldn't 
go  on. 

"Now,  grandpa,  you  sha'n't  go  away 
at  all, "  said  Kelly  decidedly.  ' '  You  a'n't 
fit  to  be  going  about  the  country  alone. 
That  stick  will  be  a  first-rate  one  for  me 
to  keep  the  dogs  off  with,  when  I  go  to 
farmer  Dodkin's  with  the  flour.  It  will 
give  you  something  to  do  to  untie  the 
knots  in  that  bundle  in  the  morning." 

Kelly  laughed  as  he  spoke,  and  in 
truth  the  knots  seemed  to  be  put  in  for 
much  the  same  purpose  as  the  lock  of  a 


24  KELLY  NASH. 

patent-safe  is  made.  Surely,  no  one 
could  pick  them  out  but  the  hand  that 
put  them  in. 

Kelly  forthwith  kicked  the  bundle  un 
der  the  bed  for  safe-keeping,  and  consid 
ered  the  matter  settled. 

Kelly  did  most  of  the  talking  for  the 
rest  of  the  evening,  and  it  must  be  owned 
he  had  not  a  very  attentive  listener. 
Now  and  then  "Old  Nash"  mumbled 
something  to  himself,  but  he  did  not 
openly  say  one  word  to  dispute  Kelly's 
decision. 

Kelly  slept  that  night  the  sound  sleep 
of  youth  and  health.  He  did  not  hear 
some  one  stirring  in  the  room,  in  the 
grey  dawn.  He  did  not  see  a  sorrowful 
old  face  bending  over  him  in  the  dim 
twilight.  He  did  not  hear  his  grandfa 
ther  gently  closing  the  door  behind  him, 
and  stealing  away  down  the  narrow  path 
way  that  led  to  the  village. 


THE  COOPER'S  COTTAGE.      25 

CHAPTER  III. 

THE  COOPER'S  COTTAGE. 

IF  you  want  to  hear  the  birds  singing 
in  earnest,  you  must  be  awake  before 
sunrise  some  bright  summer  morning. 
Then  it  is  not  one  liftle  fellow  whistling 
and  trilling,  with  two  or  three  of  his 
companions  joining  in  by  way  of  a  cho 
rus.  That  will  do  very  well  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  day,  and  very  sweet  it  is,  to 
be  sure ;  but  never  think  you  have  any 
idea  what  the  birds  can  do,  till  you  have 
heard  the  universal  warbling  and  piping 
and  chirping  which  they  set  up  as  soon 
as  the  rosy  light  begins  to  flame  along 
the  eastern  sky.  The  very  air  seems 
full  of  music,  glad  music,  which  stirs  your 
heart,  and  makes  you  feel  that  you  too 
should  begin  the  day  with  a  song  of  praise 
to  the  Giver  of  all  good. 


26  KELLY  NASH. 

Annie  Ingalls  had  passed  her  child 
hood  in  a  narrow  street  in  a  large  city. 
The  rattling  of  wheels,  the  click  of  the 
workman's  hammer,  or  the  rude  brawls 
of  revellers  returning  from  scenes  of  riot, 
had  often  roused  her  from  her  slum 
bers;  but  such  a  concert  as  the  Kirk- 
wood  birds  were  having  was  a  charming 
novelty.  Annie  was  almost  wild  with 
delight,  and  had  to  stop  ever  so  many 
times  while  she  was  dressing,  to  see  as 
well  as  to  hear  the  little  singers. 

"Is  that  a  turtle  up  there?  I  see 
something  sticking  its  head  out  of  the 
shell  every  now  and  then,"  said  a  voice 
from  below. 

"Why,  Truman,  I  did  not  mean  you 
should  get  down  first,77  exclaimed  Annie. 

"Down  first?  I  have  brought  round  the 
cow,  and  here  she  is,  all  ready  to  be 
milked,77  said  Truman  triumphantly. 

Yes,  there  stood  the  red  cow,  looking 


THE  COOPER'S  COTTAGE.      2T 

inquiringly  about  her,  as  if  asking  into 
whose  hands  she  had  fallen.  She  cer 
tainly  ought  to  have  been  satisfied  with 
the  appearance  of  the  woman  who  now 
came  out  of  the  small  gate  in  front  of  the 
house.  She  was  Truman's  mother.  That, 
any  body  could  have  seen  at  a  glance ; 
but  his  sober  and  almost  severe  expres 
sion  was  very  unlike  the  cheerful  glit 
ter  of  her  black  eyes,  and  the  dimpling 
smiles  about  her  mouth.  Tidiness  itself 
she  seemed,  and  the  new  tin  buckets  she 
had  in  her  hand  were  not  more  smooth 
and  shining  than  the  closely-brushed 
bands  of  her  dark  hair. 

Annie  had  intended  to  be  present  at 
the  milking,  from  beginning  to  end ;  but 
the  minutes  out  of  which  the  birds  had 
beguiled  her  were  gone,  and  she  knew 
she  could  not  catch  them  again,  try  as 
hard  as  she  might.  True,  she  was  all 
dressed  now,  and  could  have  been  down 


28  KELLY  NASH. 

stairs  and  out  of  the  front  door  in  half  a 
dozen  bounds  of  her  nimble  feet ;  but  An 
nie  Ingalls  did  not  forget  that  she  had  a 
soul  as  well  as  a  body,  and  that  it  must 
have  its  washing  and  dressing  anew  every 
morning.  Very  humbly  she  knelt  and 
prayed  that  that  soul  might  be  made 
pure  through  the  Saviour 's  blood,  clothed 
in  his  righteousness,  and  armed  with  the 
whole  armor  of  Grod.  Annie  asked  for 
what  she  really  wanted.  She  asked  to 
be  made  obedient  and  gentle  and  unself 
ish,  a  good  daughter,  a  good  sister,  a 
faithful,  humble  child  of  God.  If  Kelly 
Nash  had  seen  her  then,  kneeling  in  her 
quiet  room,  he  might  have  dimly  un 
derstood  what  was  that  something  about 
her  which  was  to  him  a  riddle  hard  to 
read. 

It  was  plain  that  Mrs.  Ingalls  had  not 
always  lived  in  town.  She  well  knew 
how  to  set  the  milk  all  in  a  foam,  as  the 


THE  COOPER'S  COTTAGE.      29 

white  streams  flowed  free  and  fast  through 
her  skilful  fingers. 

Annie  arrived  just  in  time  to  see  the 
finishing  off  of  the  milking,  and  to  ex 
press  her  hearty  delight  at  her  mother's 
success. 

"Is  n't  it  splendid!77  she  exclaimed. 
"May  I  have  a  drink  of  it  now,  just 
warm  from  the  cow?77 

Mrs.  Ingalls  nodded,  and  away  ran  An 
nie  for  her  precious  cup,  on  which  was 
"THE  GOOD  GIRL77  in  staring  red  letters. 

Just  as  she  raised  the  delicious  draught 
to  her  lips,  a  stranger  joined  the  little 
party  at  the  gate.  An  odd-looking  stran 
ger  Annie  thought  him,  and  her  brown 
eyes  gazed  wonderingly  into  his  small 
face,  as  he  paused  and  leaned  on  his 
stick  as  if  weary. 

"Wont  you  sit  down?77  said  Mrs.  In 
galls,  handing  the  old  man  her  milking- 
stool,  with  one  of  her  bright  smiles. 


30  KELLY   NASH. 

"I  will  rest  a  bit.  IVe  come  clear 
from  the  other  end  of  the  village,  and 
beyond  it  too,  a  piece,77  said  "Old  Nash7' 
in  his  simple  way. 

"  You  took  an  early  start ;  may-be  you 
didn't  have  time  for  breakfast.  Here, 
Annie,,  give  me  your  cup.  Wont  you 
try  some  of  Mooly's  good  milk,  sir  ?77 

"She  7s  a  fine  cow,  and  gives  wonder 
ful.  Farmer  Dodkins  has  nary  better  on 
his  farm.  Thank  ye.  A  drop  of  milk 
wouldn't  be  bad.  I  know  Mooly."  As 
"Old  Nash77  was  drinking  the  milk,  sip 
ping  it  like  a  child,  and  looking  about  him 
contentedly,  Annie  exclaimed,  "  There  ;s 
father  at  the  .door.  He7s  ready  for 
prayers  now.77 

"Yes,  all  ready,  so  come  in  at  once,77 
said  John  Ingalls  in  his  own  prompt 
way. 

"The  old  man,  father — he  hasn't  got 
through  his  milk.  Mayn't  he  come  in 


THE  COOPER'S  COTTAGE.      31 

too?  May-be  he  7d  like  to  sit  a  little  by 
the  kitchen  fire.  I  saw  him  rubbing  his 
hands  as  if  he  was  cold  when  he  first 
came  up,  though  I  don't  see  how  any 
body  could  be  cold  on  such  a  morning.77 

Annie  said  all  this  in  a  whisper,  her 
father  putting  down  his  ear  to  catch  the 
mysterious  communication. 

"  Will  you  come  in  a  few  minutes,  and 
sit  by  our  kitchen  fire?  We  are  going 
to  have  our  prayers  now,  and  we  do  n't 
mind  a  wayfaring  man's  being  with  us 
then.  It  rather  helps  us,  we  think." 
John  Ingalls  had  a  straightforward  way 
of  speaking,  and  a  manner  of  stopping 
suddenly,  as  if  he  expected  an  immedi 
ate  answer. 

"Old  Nash"  made  no  answer,  but  he 
handed  the  cup  to  Annie,  and  then  pick 
ing  up  the  stool,  moved  towards  the 
house. 

When  the  family  were  all  assembled 


32  KELLY  NASH. 

in  the  snug  kitchen,  John  Ingalls  did  not 
take  ont  a  great  Bible  and  lay  it  before 
him;  he  was  but  a  poor  scholar,  and 
could  but  spell  out  the  words  slowly 
when  he  read  for  his  own  edification. 
Often  too  he  had  his  family  prayers  in 
the  dimness  of  the  early  morning.  He 
had  hit  upon  a  plan  which  would  do  as 
well  in  the  dark  as  by  daylight. 

"Now,  Truman/7  said  John  when  they 
were  all  seated. 

The  boy  stood  up,  and  repeated,  slow 
ly  and  clearly,  that  beautiful  chapter  on 
charity,  1  Corinthians  13. 

"We  must  try  to  live  by  that/7  said 
John  earnestly,  as  Truman  sat  down. 

There  was  a  short  pause,  and  then 
Annie's  voice  sounded  out  sweetly  in  a 
morning  hymn,  in  which  she  was  soon 
joined  by  the  whole  family. 

"We  will  all  kneel  down  now,  while 
we  pray,"  said  John  slowly  and  distinct- 


THE  COOPER'S  COTTAGE.      33 

ly.  He  wished  the  stranger  to  be  fully 
prepared  for  what  was  about  to  be  done. 

"  Old  Nash  "  knelt  down,  bowed  upon 
his  knees  for  the  first  time  perhaps  in  all 
his  life.  He  heard  God  addressed  as  a 
trusted  Friend,  glad  to  pour  out  his  bless 
ings  on  his  loving  children;  and  as  a 
Father,  whom  those  children  longed  to 
obey.  For  the  poor  wandering  stran 
ger — "the  old  man  who  is  with  us  to 
day  " — there  were  special  petitions.  God 
was  asked  to  "  bless  his  hoary  head, 
guard  his  footsteps,  and  help  him  to  walk 
in  the  way  of  life.77 

When  the  Lord7s  prayer  had  been  re 
peated  by  all,  and  the  Amen  spoken, 
"  Old  Nash ?7  rose  with  difficulty.  Once 
on  his  feet,  he  moved  across  the  room, 
and  took  John  Ingalls  by  the  hand. 

"I  wish  you  had  spoken  a  word  for 
the  boy — not  him,77  said  "  Old  Nash,77  as 
the  fathers  eye  involuntarily  turned  to 

Kelly  Nash.  3 


34  KELLY   NASH. 

Truman — "my  Kelly,  I  mean.  May-be 
you  know  Kelly  Nash.77 

"Kelly  Nash!  is  he  your  boy?77  said 
Annie,  sidling  up  to  the  old  man. 

"  Yes,  he  7s  my  boy,  and  1 7m  leaving 
him.  He  said  I  must  n7t  go,  but  he  don7t 
know.  He  was  only  a  child  then.  I 
want  to  see  7ern  lying  side  by  side  once 
more.  Kelly  711  get  on  very  well  with 
out  me,  but  he  ha7n7t  no  mother.  If  you 
could  only  see  Kelly,  may-be  you  7d  say 
something  for  him  sometimes  in  the  morn 
ing.  He  ha7n7t  no  ways  like  yours ;  but 
he  7s  a  pleasant  lad,  my  Kelly  is.  I 
hope  1 711  see  him  when  I  come  back." 

"Old  Nash77  took  up  his  bundle  and 
stick,  and  then  bowing,  he  said,  "  Grood- 
by,  thank  you,77  to  each  one  in  the  room. 

As  he  stood  on  the  threshold,  he  turned 
to  say,  "You  wont  forget  my  boy  when 
you  are  down  on  your  knees.77 

"We  wont  forget  him,77  said  Mrs.  In- 


THE  COOPER'S  COTTAGE.      35 

galls'  cheerful  voice.  "Here,  let  me 
help  you  down  these  rough  steps/7  she 
added,  suiting  the  action  to  the  word. 

"  Old  Nash"  stood  in  the  street  once 
more.  One  thin  hand  grasped  the  firmly- 
knotted  bundle,  while  the  other  held  his 
stout  walking-stick.  Kirkwood  was  be 
hind  him;  before  him  lay  many  weary 
miles,  ere  he  could  reach  the  long-for 
saken  home  of  his  happier  days.  A 
great  load  seemed  to  be  rolled  off  the 
old  man's  mind.  He  fancied  he  had  se 
cured  a  kind  of  protection  for  Kelly — a 
charm  which  would  keep  him  from  all 
ill.  Now,  he  could  go  his  way,  and  be 
sure  no  evil  could  happen  to  the  lad. 

Poor  "  Old  Nash "  in  his  blindness  and 
ignorance  had  hit  upon  a  truth.  There 
is  no  such  safeguard  for  our  absent  ones 
as  the  sincere  prayers  of  God's  true  chil 
dren. 


36  KELLY   NASH. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

NEW  QUAETEES. 

WAS  Kelly  Nash  anxious  and  distress 
ed  when  he  found  that  grandfather,  stick, 
and  bundle  had  suspiciously  disappeared 
together  ?  You  should  have  heard  Kel 
ly's  merry  shout  as  he  made  this  discov 
ery,  if 'you  had  any  uneasiness  as  to 
what  he  would  think  of  the  matter. 

"He's  a  funny  old  soul,  now,"  said 
Kelly  to  himself,  "to  steal  a  march  on 
me  that  way.  He  '11  be  back  again  soon ; 
before  night,  very  likely;  right  glad  to 
warm  his  hands  over  the  fire,  though 
1 'in  all  in  a  perspiration.77 

Kelly's  breakfast  was  but  a  light  one, 
but  he  was  sure  that  good  Mrs.  Hilger 
would  send  him  a  nice  luncheon ;  so  he 
gave  himself  no  trouble  on  that  score, 
but  coolly  put  off  his  appetite  till  a  more 


NEW   QUAETEES.  37 

appropriate  occasion.  Kelly  had  a  laugh 
with  everybody  he  met  that  morning, 
at  the  idea  of  his  grandfather's  running 
away;  and  by  the  time  he  got  to  the 
mill,  he  had  persuaded  himself  that  the 
whole  affair  was  the  funniest  thing  in  the 
world.  He  longed  to  tell  the  good  joke 
to  Mr.  Hilger,  and  hear  what  he  would 
have  to  say  about  it ;  but  the  miller  came 
in  with  the  new  cooper,  and  went  direct 
ly  to  his  office,  where  it  was  plain  he 
was  talking  on  business  and  could  not  be 
interrupted. 

The  business  was  over  at  last.  The 
bits  of  paper  all  covered  with  figures 
and  memoranda  were  laid  aside,  and  then 
Mr.  Hilger  put  his  feet  upon  the  win 
dow-sill  and  tilted  back  his  chair,  as  if 
prepared  for  more  general  conversation. 

As  the  fat  little  miller  made  this  effort 
to  be  thoroughly  comfortable,  he  became 
conscious  of  a  great  package  in  his  coat- 


38  KELLY   NASH. 

pocket  winch  was  much  in  his  way.  He 
forthwith  drew  out  a  greyish-white  nap 
kin,  in  which  Mrs.  Hilger  had  carefully 
rolled  what  she  called  "  Kelly's  lunch 
eon."  That  same  luncheon  was,  in  fact, 
as  comfortable  a  dinner  for  a  growing 
boy  as  could  be  served  up  cold  in  a  nap 
kin. 

Through  the  glass  door,  Kelly  had  a 
full  view  of  what  was  going  on  in  the 
office ;  he  was  therefore  ready  at  once  to 
respond  to  Mr.  Hilger's  call,  andTeceive 
with  a  hearty  "  Thank  you/7  the  package 
which  had  been  such  a  foe  to  the  good 
miller's  comfort. 

Kelly  was  not  a  stickler  for  routine ; 
he  was  not  going  to  wait  for  luncheon 
till  luncheon-time,  not  he.  He  perched 
himself  on  a  barrel,  and  might  soon  have 
been  seen  with  a  chicken's  leg  in  one 
hand  and  a  slice  of  bread  in  the  other, 
presenting  as  satisfactory  a  picture  of 


NEW  QUARTERS.  39 

contentment  as  an  unsentimental  painter 
would  wish  to  see. 

Mr.  Hilger  was  no  painter,  and  yet  he 
had  his  share  of  pleasure  as  he  got  a 
peep  at  Kelly  midway  in  his  progress 
through  the  contents  of  the  grey  napkin. 
It  was  a  pleasure,  however,  not  unmin- 
gled  with  pain,  as  he  exclaimed,  "Just 
look  at  Kelly.  He  must  like  Mrs.  Hil- 
ger's  cooking.  I  do  n't  believe  the  poor 
fellow  has  had  a  mouthful  of  breakfast. 
Why,  he  ?s  ravenous." 

"Growing  boys  are  always  that  way. 
No  matter  how  much  you  feed  them,  they 
are  just  as  ready  for  more,"  said  John 
Ingalls,  with  a  sincerity  that  showed  he 
either  spoke  from  late  observation  or 
personal  experience. 

"Well,  I  don't  know  much  about  it, 
but. Mrs.  Hilger  has  a  notion  that  Kelly 
is  only  half  fed  at  home.  She  really 
worries  about  the  boy,  and  gives  me  no 


40  KELLY  NASH. 

peace  unless  I  load  up  my  pockets  for 
him  every  morning.  After  all,  there  is 
not  a  healthier-looking  boy  in  Kirkwood 
than  Kelly  Nash." 

While  the  miller  was  speaking,  John 
Ingalls  had  kept  his  eye  on  the  lad,  and 
could  not  help  thinking  that  there  was 
real  hunger  in  the  way  he  devoured 
every  crumb  of  the  abundant  provision 
that  had  been  made  for  him. 

"Kelly  Nash!77  exclaimed  John,  catch 
ing  at  the  name,  "Kelly  Nash!  what  has 
he  to  do  with  a  queer-looking  little  old 
man,  with  a  hat  too  big  for  his  head,  and 
a  coat  too  big  for  his  body?" 

"Old  Nash.  You've  seen  him  then 
already,"  said  the  miller  smiling.  "He  ?s 
Kelly's  grandfather.  Everybody  knows 
him  about  here." 

We  need  not  relate  the  conversation 
in  which  the  miller  and  the  cooper  told 
each  other  all  they  knew  about  "Old 


NEW   QUARTERS.  41 

Nash/7  and  were  both  much  interested 
in  the  story  they  heard.  John  Ingalls' 
honest  heart  warmed  towards  the  orphan- 
boy,  and  the  miller  mentally  compared 
his  own  cosy  home  with  the  dreary,  lonely 
hovel  to  which  Kelly  must  go  at  evening. 

This  conversation  was  but  the  wedge, 
the  small  beginning  of  what  happened 
before  a  week  was  over. 

What  a  change  had  taken  place  in 
Kelly's  life!  The  miller  and  Mr.  In- 
galls  had  made  a  bargain  for  Kelly's 
special  benefit.  Three  times  a  day  he 
sat  down  at  Mrs.  Ingalls'  comfortable 
table,  and  at  night  he  slept  in  a  snug 
little  room  at  the  mill.  The  single  but 
ton  on  his  jacket  had  now  a  half  a  dozen 
fellows  to  keep  it  company;  and  break 
and  knot  his  shoe-strings  as  often  as  he 
would,  there  was  sure  to  be  a  strong 
whole  pair  in  those  same  shoes  in  the 
morning. 


42  KELLY  NASH. 

In  spite  of  all  his  new  comforts,  Kel 
ly's  thoughts  would  sometimes  wander  to 
the  simple  old  face  that  had  so  often 
looked  so  kindly  into  his  own.  How 
was  his  grandfather  faring  while  such 
new  sunshine  had  fallen  on  his  own  lot  ? 
Kelly  was  not  the  boy  to  make  himself 
unhappy  by  any  such  questionings.  He 
persuaded  himself  that  there  was  noth 
ing  for  him  to  worry  about ;  and  as  he 
became  more  and  more  accustomed  to 
his  new  way  of  life,  he  thought  less  and 
less  of  "Old  Nash."  It  was  as  the  poor 
old  man  had  said:  Kelly  got  on  very 
well  without  him. 

Yet  Kelly  loved  his  grandfather  bet 
ter  than  any  one  else  in  the  world.  The 
fact  was,  Kelly  did  not  know  how  to 
love  truly  and  heartily.  Merry  and 
thoughtless  by  nature,  he  had  lived  on, 
made  happy  by  the  gladness  of  youth 
and  health,  without  making  one  effort 


NEW   QUAETEKS.  43 

for  the  comfort  of  others,  or  once  grate 
fully  remembering  the  heavenly  Father, 
who  had  not  suffered  the  orphan-boy  to 
know  want  or  sorrow. 

•For  all  the  mischief  which  sprang  from 
his  wild  pranks,  Kelly  had  ever  the  ex 
cuse,  " I  didn't  think  •"  lil  didn't  mean 
any  harm ;"  which  he  seemed  to  consider 
all-sufficient.  Kelly  " didn't  think77  to 
care  for  his  grandfather's  comfort.  He 
did  not  think  that  the  harmless  animals, 
whose  torment  gave  him  sport,  could 
suffer,  though  they  could  not  plead  with 
him  to  spare  them.  Kelly  did  not  think 
that  his  life  must  have  an  end  as  well  as 
theirs,  and  that  there  was  a  world  beyond 
where  happiness  or  misery  was  in  store 
for  him.  "When  the  church  bell  rang  out 
on  Sunday  morning,  he  did  not  think 
whether  it  was  right  or  wrong  for  him  to 
be  off  to  the  woods  for  birds'-nests,  or 
go  straying  through  the  fields  seeking 


44  KELLY   NASH. 

for  wild  berries.  Kelly  had  been  like  a 
rudderless  boat  dancing  over  the  rough 
waves,  little  caring  whither  it  was  bound, 
or  on  what  rocks  it  might  soon  be  dashed. 
What  wonder  then  that  Kelly  did  not 
grieve  over  his  grandfathers  disappear 
ance,  or  suffer  with  anxiety  lest  the  old 
man  should  be  sick  among  strangers,  and 
in  want.  Kelly  did  not  think  for  him 
self,  but  there  were  others  now  who  were 
thinking  for  him.  Morning  and  evening 
true  prayer  went  up  for  him  from  John 
Ingalls'  family  altar— true  prayer,  which 
was  sure  of  a  faithful,  if  not  a  speedy 
answer.  These  prayers  Kelly  was  care 
ful  not  to  hear.  Having  once  been  pres 
ent  at  the  hour  of  family  worship,  sol 
emn  thoughts  had  been  forced  upon  him — 
thoughts  which  it  had  been  hard  to  ban 
ish.  He  would  not  risk  such  suggestions 
again ;  so  he  took  pains  to  come  in  just 
in  time  for  breakfast,  and  to  be  off  to  the 


NEW   QUARTERS.  45 

mill  before  John  Ingalls  summoned  his 
family  around  him  at  night. 

Poor  Kelly,  it  was  well  that  there  was 
an  arm  of  Christian  kindness  stretched 
out  to  him,  and  the  voice  of  prayer 
pleading  for  him  at  the  throne  of  grace. 


46  KELLY  NASH. 

CHAPTER  V. 

ANNIE  INGALLS. 

MANY  weeks  had  flown  by  since  Kelly 
had  left  the  hovel  on  the  hill-side  for 
John  Ingalls'  pleasant  home.  The  wild 
roses  had  hung  out  their  pink  blossoms, 
and  then  scattered  them  on  the  sweet- 
scented  breeze.  Every  evening  when 
Mooly  was  driven  home  from  pasture, 
Annie  Ingalls  might  have  been  seen  be 
hind  her,  not  with  a  long  stick  in  her 
hand,  but  laden  with  nosegays  of  wild 
flowers,  all  very,  very  beautiful  to  the 
city-raised  child. 

Mrs.  Ingalls  did  not  scout  at  the  dan 
delions  and  daisies,  butter-cups  and  wild- 
roses  with  which  Annie  filled  every  old 
mug  and  pitcher  about  the  house.  She 
let  the  child  have  her  innocent  pleasure, 


ANNIE   INGALLS.  4T 

and  found  her  none  the  less  cheerful  as 
a  worker  for  this  kindly  indulgence. 

Annie  was  beginning  to  feel  very  much 
at  home  in  the  woods  and  pastures  about 
Kirkwood.  She  found  out  where  the 
blackberries  were  ripening,  and  where 
the  vines  were  the  most  richly  laden, 
almost  as  soon  as  the  wild  birds,  who 
like  her  considered  them  common  prop 
erty. 

It  was  a  pleasant  Saturday  afternoon 
in  July.  Annie  was  standing  at  her 
mother's  door,  her  bonnet  on,  and  a  bas 
ket  in  her  hand.  That  basket  she  meant 
to  fill  with  some  choice  blackberries  that 
had  for  some  days  been  ripening  in  a 
pasture  a  mile  from  Kirkwood. 

"  Take  good  care  of  yourself,  and  be 
home  before  dark,77  said  the  mother.  "  I 
shall  not  be  anxious  about  you ;  I  know 
you  will  do  just  as  I  tell  you.77 

"  I  promise  you,  mother,  to  come  home 


48  KELLY  NASH. 

in  season.  You  see  if  I  don't  keep  my 
word/7  said  Annie  ;  and  as  she  spoke  she 
put  up  her  mouth  for  a  good-by  kiss. 

Mrs.  Ingalls  followed  with  her  eyes 
the  little  figure  as  it  passed  quickly  up 
the  street.  Those  were  the  eyes  of  a 
happy,  loving  mother;  and  as  she  turned 
back  to  her  in-door  duties,  it  was  with 
the  thought  that  there  was  never  a  sweet 
er  or  a  better  child  than  Annie  Ingalls. 
On  went  little  Annie  through  the  long 
village  street,  her  round  face  all  smiles, 
and  her  step  light  as  her  happy  heart 
within.  Past  the  mill  lay  her  path,  and 
her  joy  was  not  dampened  when  Kelly 
called  to  her,  "  Look  out  for  fanner  Dod- 
kin's  black  bull.  He  's  a  terrible  fellow 
to  gore,  and  jumps  fences  better  than  I 
can.  If  you  hear  any  thing  like  a  bel 
low,  run  as  fast  as  you  can,  or  he'll 
catch  you.77 

Kelly  knew  very  well  that  Annie's 


ANNIE   INGALLS.  49 

ears  would  be  saluted  all  the  afternoon 
by  the  voices  of  the  cattle  pastured  in 
the  woods  and  fields  where  she  was  going. 
He  did  not  think  that  it  was  cruel  to  set 
her  so  intensely  on  the  watch,  that  she 
would  be  startled  by  every  innocent 
sound. 

Kelly's  mischief  failed  this  time.  An 
nie's  thoughts  turned  to  the  words  of  the 
psalm  which  she  had  read  in  the  morn-- 
ing:  "For  every  beast  of  the  forest  is 
mine,  and  the  cattle  upon  a  thousand 
hills."  "  Call  upon  me  in  the  day  of 
trouble;  I  will  deliver  thee,  and  thou 
shalt  glorify  me."  "I  am  like  a  green 
olive-tree  in  the  house  of  God.  I  trust 
in  the  mercy  of  G-od  for  ever  and  ever.77 

These  words  floated  through  Annie's 
mind  with  their  sweet  breath  of  comfort, 
and  she  tripped  lightly  on  her  way,  feel 
ing  as  safe  as  if  she  were  encompassed 
with  arms  and  defended  by  bow  and  spear. 

Kelly  Nash.  4 


50  KELLY   NASH. 

Along  the  path  which  Kelly  had  so 
often  trodden  went  Annie,  winding  up 
the  valley  with  the  bright  stream  danc 
ing  at  her  side,  a  right  cheerful  compan 
ion.  Nature,  which  had  been  all  silent 
to  Kelly's  ears,  had  for  her  its  voice  full 
of  eloquent  teaching.  Every  leaf  and 
tree  and  flower  was  for  her  a  fresh  mes 
sage  of  love  from  her  Saviour,  "  without 
whom  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was 
made.'7 

Full  of  happy  thoughts,  she  climbed 
the  narrow  path  which  led  over  the  hill 
by  Kelly's  old  home. 

Dreary  and  desolate  indeed  looked  the 
poor  hovel.  Annie  peered  in  at  the  win 
dow,  half  expecting  to  see  "Old  Nash?; 
cowering  in  the  dimness.  There  was  no 
sound  of  life  in  the  silent  dwelling,  and 
Annie  went  on  her  way,  thinking  with 
renewed  kindness  of  Kelly,  poor  Kelly, 
who  had  had  such  a  home  for  his  child- 


ANNIE   INGALLS.  51 

hood — poor  Kelly,  who  had  lost  this  one 
friend,  the  simple,  kindly  old  man  who 
loved  him.  Many  a  time  through  the 
long  afternoon  Annie  thought  of  that 
desolate  home  and  of  Kelly.  How  she 
hoped  and  prayed  that  now  that  he  knew 
her  father  and  mother,  he  would  be  a  dif 
ferent,  a  better  boy. 

All  unconscious  of  the  working  of  An 
nie's  mind,  Kelly  toiled  on  through  the 
heat  of  the  summer  day,  now  rolling  bar 
rels,  now  lifting  great  sacks  of  meal, 
making  pleasure  out  of  the  very  difficul 
ties  of  his  work. 

The  sun  had  not  set  when  on  her 
homeward  walk  Annie  Ingalls  came  in 
sight  of  the  mill.  Her  step  was  slow, 
for  she  was  weary,  and  from  time  to  time 
she  changed  the  full  basket  from  one  tired 
arm  to  the  other. 

Kelly  was  sitting  on  the  door-step  of 
the  mill,  pushing  back  his  crisp  brown 


52  KELLY   NASH. 

curls  from  his  forehead.  He  wondered 
if  his  grandfather  would  want  a  fire  on 
such  an  evening. 

"A  full  basket,  eh,  Annie?77  said  Kel 
ly  as  the  little  girl  held  up  her  treasures 
for  him  to  see.  Kelly  took  out  a  hand 
ful  of  the  berries  and  thrust  them  into 
his  mouth.  "  First-rate.  Why,  they  cool 
a  fellow  off  wonderfully/7  he  said,  help 
ing  himself  again. 

Annie  had  not  eaten  a  berry  all  the 
afternoon.  The  zeal  for  collecting  had 
been  upon  her,  and  she  wanted  her  bas 
ket  to  be  "  as  full  as  it  could  hold.77 

The  kindly  feeling  she  had  been  cher 
ishing  for  Kelly,  however,  made  her 
think,  "Poor  fellow,  I  am  glad  he  likes 
my  berries,77  even  while  she  grieved  to 
see  him  making  a  place  where  the  inside 
of  the  rim  of  the  basket  was  plainly  vis 
ible. 

"I  say,  Annie,77  said  Kelly,  "I'm  just 


ANNIE   INGALLS.  53 

as  tired  as  I  can  be.  Wont  you  run  up 
into  the  upper  loft,  and  bring  me  down 
my  cap  ?  I  left  it  there  the  last  time  I 
was  up." 

Annie  was  tired  too ;  but  she  was  ac 
customed  to  think  of  others  before  her 
self  ;  so  she  started  off  pleasantly  to  do 
as  she  was  asked.  She  thought  of  her 
promise  to  be  at  home  early ;  but  it  would 
not  be  dark  for  an  hour  yet,  and  she  had 
certainly  time  to  do  a  kindness  to  Kelly. 
Her  mother  would  wish  it,  she  was  sure. 

Up  the  weary  stairs  toiled  the  little 
girl,  her  basket  on  her  arm ;  she  had  not 
dared  to  leave  that  to  Kelly's  tender 
mercies. 

The  cap  was  not  easily  found ;  but  she 
looked  about  perseveringly  for  it,  and 
had  just  taken  it  gladly  in  her  hand, 
when  she  heard  the  upper  stairway  door 
shut  suddenly,  and  then  somebody  seem 
ed  to  be  working  at  the  latch. 


54  KELLY  NASH. 

Annie  ran  down  the  steps.  The  door 
was  locked.  Somebody  had  pegged  the 
latch  on  the  other  side.  She  was  shut 
in,  shut  in  on  purpose  by  somebody. 
Could  it  be  Kelly?  He  said  he  was  so 
tired  just  now ;  and  she  had  come  up  all 
those  stairs  on  purpose  to  oblige  him.  It 
could  not  be  Kelly. 

Yes,  it  was  Kelly.  She  could  hear 
him  laughing  to  himself  as  he  jumped 
from  step  to  step,  his  mischief  having 
apparently  cured  his  fatigue. 

Kelly  had  not  dreamed  of  playing  a 
trick  on  Annie  when  he  sent  her  up 
stairs  ;  he  was  really  in  earnest  in  say 
ing  that  he  was  for  the  moment  tired. 
When,  however,  he  chanced  to  think 
how  nicely  he  could  catch  her  up  there, 
and  keep  her  as  long  as  he  pleased,  the 
idea  so  tickled  him  that  he  started  off  at 
once  to  carry  it  out. 

Annie   bore    her   imprisonment  very 


ANNIE   INGALLS.  -55 

patiently  for  a  while ;  she  had  found  that 
was  the  best  way  to  take  Kelly's  teasing. 
Patience,  however,  did  not  bring  the 
jailer  to  terms.  Annie  could  hear  him 
going  about  the  mill  whistling,  as  if  he 
had  forgotten  she  was  in  existence. 

The  windows  to  the  upper  loft  were 
small,  and  so  coated  over  with  flour  and 
cobwebs  that  they  were  not  good  posi 
tions  for  a  look-out.  The  large  door, 
however,  through  which  sacks  of  grain 
were  drawn  up,  was  wide  open.  At 
first  Annie  was  almost  afraid  to  go  near 
it.  It  seemed  so  very  high — such  a  dan 
gerous  place,  where  one  might  so  easily 
fall  down  and  be  dashed  to  pieces.  By 
degrees  she  became  accustomed  to  look 
ing  out  from  it,  and  she  tried  to  amuse 
herself  by  watching  to  see  if  any  one 
passed  on  the  road. 

The  sun  was  setting.  She  could  be 
sure  of  that,  for  the  brilliant  light  was 


56  KELLY  NASH. 

gilding  the  western  windows  of  the  vil 
lage  as  if  there  were  an  illumination  for 
a  victory.  What  would  her  mother  think 
if  she  should  not  get  home  before  dark  ? 
How  uneasy  she  would  be. 

Just  as  this  thought  entered  Annie's 
mind,  she  saw  Mr.  Hilger  coming  along 
the  road  in  his  open  buggy.  He  stop 
ped  ;  now  he  was  beckoning  to  some  one. 
It  must  be  that  Kelly  was  standing  in 
the  door  of  the  mill.  Kelly  was  running 
out  to  speak  to  him.  Kelly  had  put  on 
the  old  straw  hat  that  hung  by  the  door. 
He  did  not  need  his  cap,  after  all.  That 
was  an  aggravation. 

Mr.  Hilger  and  Kelly  had  a  little  talk ; 
then,  to  Annie's  distress,  Kelly  jumped 
into  the  buggy  beside  him,  and  away 
they  drove  together.  She  watched  the 
white  horse  along  the  dusty  road  as  far 
as  she  could  see  him,  and  then  she  sat 
down  on  the  floor  and  cried.  Yes,  cried : 


ANNIE   INGALLS.  57 

Annie  Ingalls  was  as  worried  and  dis 
heartened  as  any  other  little  girl  would 
have  been  under  the  same  circumstances. 
The  twilight  began  to  steal  into  the  cor 
ners  of  the  loft,  and  in  the  dimness  a  rat 
ran  swiftly  across  the  floor.  It  was  not 
the  darkness  nor  an  army  of  rats  that 
were  Annie's  bugbears.  She  was  tired 
enough  to.  have  lain  down  on  the  floor 
and  slept  soundly,  if  she  could  only  have 
been  sure  that  her  mother  knew  where 
she  was,  and  would  not  be  worried  about 
her.  Kelly  was  gone,  gone  on  the  road 
to  farmer  Dodkins7,  and  might  not  be 
home  at  all  to  supper.  He  did  not  come 
sometimes,  when  he  was  very  busy. 
What  should  she  do?  Perhaps  they 
would  think  she  was  lost  in  the  woods, 
and  all  the  people  in  Kirkwood  would 
be  hunting  for  her,  while  she  was  crying 
up  there  in  the  upper  loft  of  the  mill. 
Nobody  would  think  of  searching  for  her 


58  KELLY  NASH. 

there.  She  could  not  make  any  body 
hear  if  she  tried.  At  least,  Kelly  never 
looked  up,  though  she  called  after  him 
as  loud  as  she  could.  She  knew  Kelly 
well  enough  to  be  sure  that  if  he  got  in 
terested  in  something  else  he  would  for 
get  all  about  her. 

Her  promise  to  her  mother  too,  she 
could  not  break  that ;  she  ought  to  keep 
her  promise.  As  this  thought  entered 
Annie's  mind,  her  eye  fell  on  the  great 
pulley  which  hung  out  above  the  door 
near  which  she  was  sitting.  The  rope 
that  went  round  it  was  fastened  firmly 
at  one  end,  while  most  of  the  rope  lay 
in  a  great  coil  on  the  floor  beside  her. 
That  must  be  a  very  strong  rope.  She 
had  seen  it  drawing  up  sacks  of  meal  so 
heavy  that  Kelly  could  hardly  hoist  them. 
She  had  heard  of  people's  escaping  on 
ropes  in  case  of  fire.  Sailors  climbed 
the  ropes  of  vessels.  What  was  to  pre- 


ANNIE   INGALLS.  59 

vent  her  sliding  down  on  that  strong  rope, 
and  so  getting  safely  home  before  her 
mother  was  much  worried.  Keeping  her 
promise  too,  that  would  be  the  best  of  it. 

Annie  pushed  and  pushed  at  the  coil 
of  rope,  utitil  at  last  it  stood  in  the  door 
way.  It  was  half  over  the  edge.  One 
more  push,  and  it  went  rattling  and 
whirling  down  like  a  great  snake  let 
loose  in  the  air,  while  Annie  shrank 
back  into  the  darkness.  Little  by  little 
the  rope  ceased  tossing  and  swaying,  and 
hung  down  still  and  straight  in  the  quiet 
evening  air.  Should  she — should  she 
dare  ?  Could  she  go  down  safely,  if  she 
tried  ? 

Annie  had  heard  of  the  sailor's  motto, 
"Look  aloft.77  She  knew  that  the  real 
danger  was  in  her  growing  dizzy  and 
frightened,  not  in  the  height  from  the 
ground.  She  might  look  up,  and  so  be 
safe ;  she  would  try. 


60  KELLY  NASH. 

Annie  felt  very  solemnly  as  she  took 
off  her  little  bonnet  and  laid  it  beside 
her  basket.  Perhaps  somebody  would 
find  them  there,  if  she  did  not  get  safely 
to  the  ground,  and  take  them  home  to 
her  mother.  It  might  be  Kelly.  She 
wished  she  could  write  him  a  little  note, 
and  beg  him  to  be  a  good  boy.  She 
could  pray  for  him,  if  she  could  not 
write  to  him.  In  the  dim  loft  Annie 
knelt  down  and  asked  Grod  to  take  care 
of  her  while  she  was  hanging  in  the  air. 
She  asked  him  to  forgive  all  her  sins  for 
Jesus7  sake.  She  begged  him  to  bless 
her  dear  parents  and  brother,  and  to 
have  mercy  on  poor  Kelly,  and  teach 
him  to  be  a  Christian  boy. 

When  Annie  rose  from  her  knees  she 
felt  quite  calm.  She  gave  herself  no 
more  time  to  think.  She  reached  out 
her  hand  and  laid  hold  of  the  rope;  a 
little  jump,  and  she  was  clinging  to  the 


ANNIE   INGALLS.  61 

swaying  cable,  her  feet  clasped  closely 
round  it.  She  looked  up  into  the  clear 
sky.  A  star  was  shining  right  over 
head.  Fixing  her  eye  on  it,  she  began 
to  descend  slowly.  Star  after  star  seem 
ed  to  come  out  in  the  sky,  as  she  moved 
inch  by  inch  down  her  strange  pathway. 
In  that  far  off  sky  Annie  could  fancy  the 
angels  looking  at  her,  and  bidding  her 
be  of  good  courage. 


62  KELLY   NASH. 

• 

CHAPTER  VI. 

ANNIE'S  SECRET. 

ANNIE  was  right  in  thinking  that  Kel 
ly  had  forgotten  her.  A  ride  behind  Mr. 
Hilger's  white  horse  was  the  boy's  espec 
ial  delight ;  and  as  he  was  swiftly  whirled 
along  through  the  pleasant  air,  he  did 
not  give  one  thought  to*  the  little  girl 
shut  up  in  the  lonely  garret.  Mr.  Hil- 
ger  had  a  message  to  leave  at  farmer 
Dodkins7  great  red  house,  two  miles  from 
Kirkwood.  He  did  not  care  to  drive 
his  spirited  horse  through  the  farm  lane, 
where  pigs  and  poultry  held  high  jubilee ; 
so  on  the  main  road  he  waited,  while 
Kelly  made  his  way  through  mud  ankle- 
deep  up  to  the  door.  All  this  took  time — 
a  long,  weary  time  it  had  seemed  to  An 
nie,  but  to  Kelly  it  passed  swiftly  enough. 


ANNIE'S   SECBET.  63 

It  was  only  as  Kelly  came  in  sight  of 
the  mill,  on  the  return  from  his  ride,  that 
he  remembered  the  poor  little  prisoner, 
and  began  to  be  impatient  to  let  her  out. 
Mr.  Hilger  set  Kelly  down,  and  then 
drove  off,  while  the  boy  walked  quickly 
up  the  slight  slope  that  led  to  the  mill. 
What  was  his  astonishment  and  horror 
to  see  little  Annie  poised  in  the  air, 
looking  steadily  upward  as  she  came 
slowly  down  the  rope.  That  was  a  feat 
upon  which  even  he  in  his  boldest  mood 
would  never  have  ventured. 

Kelly  held  his  breath,  not  daring  to 
speak,  until  Annie  had  almost  reached 
the  ground.  Then  he  seized  her  sudden 
ly,  and  set  her  firmly  on  her  feet. 

11  Are  you  crazy,  child  ?"  was  his  first 
exclamation.  "I  expected  you  to  fall 
every  moment,  and  stood  here  to  catch 
the  pieces."  Annie  did  not  speak ;  her 
eyes  were  still  looking  upward,  and  a 


64  KELLY   NASH. 

long-drawn  sigh  of  relief  escaped  her. 
The  sigh  was  all  that  Kelly  heard ;  but 
there  was  true  thanksgiving  in  her  heart, 
where  only  God  could  see.  "Annie,  are 
you  crazy  ?7;  repeated  Kelly. 

"No,  Kelly,  but  I  am  very  glad  to 
get  down  safely.  How  very  far  up  it 
looks ;"  and  she  shuddered  as  she  saw 
how  high  in  air  the  pulley  was  hanging. 

"You  little  goose,  if  you  had  waited 
a  minute  longer  I  should  have  been  here 
to  let  you  out.  What  put  such  a  thing 
into  your  head  as  coming  down  that 
rope  ?" 

"I  was  afraid  mother  would  be  wor 
ried,  and  then  I  promised  her  to  be  at  home 
before  dark.  You  know  I  could  n't  break 
my  promise/7  said  Annie  simply. 

Kelly  looked  at  her  for  a  moment  in 
silent  astonishment.  There  was  some 
thing  about  her  that  he  could  not  under 
stand. 


ANNIE'S    SECRET.  65 

"I  must  go  home  now  as  soon  as  I 
can/7  exclaimed  Annie  suddenly.  "  Oh 
dear,  I  left  my  bonnet  and  berries  up 
stairs." 

"I'll  get  them  for  you/7  said  Kelly, 
starting  away  up  the  stairs. 

"  She  did  not  say  one  cross  word  to 
me.  I  thought  she'd  be  mad  as  hops/7 
said  Kelly  to  himself  as  he  hurried  along 
the  narrow  stairway. 

Annie  had  felt  too  solemnly  the  dan 
ger  she  was  risking  to  be  angry  with  any 
one.  In  her  joy  at  reaching  the  ground 
safely,  she  for  the  moment  forgot  that 
Kelly  was  the  cause  of  all  her  trouble. 

"  There  now,  run  home  as  fast  as  you 
can/7  said  Kelly,  perching  her  bonnet 
"  hindside  before77  on  her  head. 

Annie  righted  her  little  bonnet,  and 
taking  the  basket  that  Kelly  placed  in 
her  hand,  she  set  off  towards  home  at  as 
rapid  a  pace  as  was  safe  for  her  berries. 


K«lly  Nash. 


86  KELLY   NASH. 

Mrs.  Ingalls  was  at  the  door  watching 
for  Annie  when  she  came  in  sight,  and 
soon  gathered  from  her  the  explanation 
of  her  strange  delay. 

"You  came  down  that  rope!'7  ex 
claimed  the  mother  ^ith  horror. 

"I  didn't  want  to  break  my  promise. 
I  asked  God  to  take  care  of  me,  and 
then  I  was  not  afraid.  Don't  look  so 
frightened,  mother;  you  see  I  am  here 
quite  safe/7  said  Annie,  astonished  at 
the  effect  her  story  had  produced. 

"You  have  done  very  wrong,77  said 
the  mother  soberly.  "Never  run  such 
a  risk  again  unless  your  life  is  in  dan 
ger.  You  should  have  asked  God  to 
help  you,  and  then  waited  quietly  to  see 
what  he  would  do  for  you.77 

"But  I  did  not  want  to  break  my 
promise,  mother,  and  I  knew  you  would 
be  so  worried,'7  pleaded  Annie. 

Mrs.  Ingalls  folded  Annie  to  her  bo- 


ANNIE'S   SECEET.  6t 

som ;  she  had  not  the  heart  to  blame  her 
any  further. 

Truman  had  been  a  silent  listener  to 
Annie's  story.  But  one  feeling  filled 
his  soul,  burning  indignation  against 
Kelly.  Straight  for  the  mill  he  took  his 
path,  determined  to  give  Kelly  such  a 
whipping  as  he  would  remember  for 
many  a  day.  Truman  did  not  stop  to 
think  whether  he  was  acting  right  or 
wrong;  or  to  consider  that  although 
Kelly  was  the  shorter  of  the  two,  he 
was  by  far  the  more  sturdily  built. 

The  twilight  had  been  fast  fading 
away,  and  it  was  dark  when  Truman 
reached  the  mill.  Kelly  was  standing 
on  the  steps,  swinging  a  great  key  on 
his  finger.  Truman  sprang  at  him  ;  but 
Kelly  jumped  quickly  aside,  and  Truman 
fell  with  full  force  against  the  sharp 
edge  of  the  stone  steps. 

He  was  quite  still  for  a  moment ;  then 


68  KELLY   NASH. 

putting  his  hand  to  his  head,  he  took  it 
clown  wet  with  blood. 

"Are  you  hurt,  old  fellow?7'  said 
Kelly,  coming  to  his  assistance.  "  Why, 
I  did  n't  know  you.  You  sprang  at  me 
like  a  wild-cat." 

"I  meant  to  whip  you  soundly/7  said 
Truman  faintly,  ubut  I  got  the  worst 
of  it  myself.  I  've  got  a  bad  cut  here,  I 
am  afraid." 

"Til  bind  you  up,"  said  Kelly  good- 
humoredly. 

Kelly  lapped  the  wound  together,  as 
best  he  could  in  the  dark ;  and  having 
bound  it  up  with  a  handkerchief,  the 
two  boys  set  off  towards  "home,"  as 
they  both  now  called  Mrs.  Ingalls'  kind 
ly  roof. 

On  their  way  they  chatted  in  the  most 
friendly  manner  about  the  whole  affair. 
Truman  now  realized  that  what  he  had 
thought  righteous  indignation,  was  real 


ANNIE'S    SECEET.  69 

anger  without  any  righteousness  about 
it.  "I  don't  wonder  you  were  mad," 
said  Kelly  naively.  "That  seems  all 
natural,  just  as  I  might  have  felt  myself. 
But  Annie's  way  beats  me.  She  's  a 
queer  child.  Why,  she  never  so  much 
as  looked  sour  at  me;  but  walked  off 
just  as  pleasant  as  if  nothing  had  hap 
pened." 

"  Kelly,"  said  Truman  seriously, 
"  Annie  is  a  real  little  Christian.  She 
is  a  heap  better  than  I  am,  though  I  am 
always  standing  up  for  what 's  right.  I 
see  when  others  go  wrong,  and  like  very 
well  to  tell  them  of  it ;  but  I  can't  do  the 
way  she  does,  though  I  try." 

"You  try!"  said  Kelly,  with  a  low, 
expressive  whistle.  "  Well,  if  Annie  's 
a  Christian,  there's  something  in  it,  that 's 
certain.  But  I  should  never  have  found 
out  much  by  you." 

"  I  want  to  be  better  than  I  am,"  said 


rO  KELLY   NASH. 

Truman  earnestly.  "I  wish  you  would 
try  too,  Kelly." 

Kelly  made  no  answer,  and  in  a  few 
moments  the  boys  were  at  home. 

Kelly  staid  that  evening  to  John  In 
galls'  family  prayers.  Mrs.  Ingalls  said 
not  a  harsh  word  to  him — not  a  single 
word  of  reproof;  that  had  been  Annie's 
earnest  request  to  her  mother. 

"Stop  a  moment,  Kelly/'  said  John, 
as  Kelly  was  getting  ready  to  return  to 
the  mill.  The  children  had  already  gone 
up  stairs,  and  Mrs.  Ingalls  judiciously 
disappeared,  to  leave  John  and  Kelly  to 
gether. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  scold  you,  my 
boy,"  said  John  very  deliberately.  "My 
heart  is  too  full  of  gratitude  to-night. 
Grod  has  spared  our  darling  to  us.  She 
might  have  been  killed  coming  down 
that  terrible  rope.  Would  that  we  all 
were  as  anxious  as  Annie  is  to  hold  to 


ANNIE'S   SECBET.  71 

the  truth,  and  save  giving  pain  to  our 
friends.  Kelly,  you  could  not  know 
that  she  would  do  any  thing  so  desperate. 
You  didn't  think,  when  you  were  away 
with  Mr.  Hilger,  what  distress  you  were 
giving  the  poor  little  girl.  You  don't 
think,  Kelly;  you  don't  think.  That  is 
your  difficulty,  Kelly.  The  time  will 
come  when  you  will  have  to  think. 
When  death  comes  to  you  and  finds  you 
all  unprepared,  you  will  wish  for  but 
one  half-hour  of  the  time  you  are  now 
wasting.  My  boy,  I  want  you  to  think 
that  there  is  a  God  who  commands  you 
to  obey  his  laws.  I  want  you  to  think 
that  there  is  a  Saviour  for  whose  sake 
you  may  be  forgiven,  if  you  truly  repent. 
I  want  you  to  think  that  there  is  a  heav 
en,  to  which  you  may  go,  if  you  are  one 
of  Christ's  children  ;  and  there  is  a  hell, 
to  which  you  will  certainly  go,  unless 
you  think  more,  and  try  to  mend  your 


72  KELLY   NASH. 

ways.  You  need  not  answer  me,  my 
boy.  Go  now  ;  and  before  you  sleep,  I 
hope  you  will  kneel  down  and  ask  God 
to  forgive  all  your  sins,  and  help  you  to 
do  better,  for  Christ's  sake." 

Kelly  was  solemnized.  For  the  mo 
ment,  he  really  meant  to  do  better. 
Once  out  in  the  fresh  air,  these  thoughts 
passed  quickly  away.  Yet,  when  he 
went  into  his  own  little  chamber  at  the 
mill,  he  remembered  John's  words,  and 
fell  on  his  knees.  What  should  he  say  ? 
While  he  asked  himself  the  question,  his 
mind  wandered,  and  he  soon  dropped 
asleep,  even  as  he  was  kneeling  at  his 
bedside.  An  hour  afterwards  he  awaked 
enough  to  roll  heavily  into  the  bed,  where 
he  slept  soundly  till  morning. 


FARMER   DODKINS.  73 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FARMER  DODKINS. 

FARMER  DODKINS  was  the  " grandee77 
of  Kirkwood,  the  most  influential  man 
in  the  village.  In  the  village,  we  say; 
but  full  two  miles  from  the  post-office 
rose  Mr.  Dodkins7  great  red  brick  house, 
while  far,  far  into  the  country  stretched 
the  rich  meadows  and  rolling  fields  of  his 
extensive  farm.  Those  same  fields  had 
been  wonderfully  prospered  this  year. 
No  blight,  nor  fly,  nor  any  hidden  ene 
my  had  marred  the  beautiful  wheat  in 
its  progress  to  perfection.  The  tender 
blade,  in  its  livery  of  green,  had  been 
slowly  exchanged  for  the  golden  harvest, 
which  was  now  safely  gathered  into  the 
garner.  Now  was  the  time  for  farmer 


74  KELLY  NASH. 

Dodkins  and  Mr.  Hilger  to  have  a  long 
talk,  before  the  wheat  should  find  its 
way  to  the  mill. 

The  great  bay  horse  was  tied  in  front 
of  the  mill  one  morning.  Then  every 
body  knew  that  farmer  Dodkins  and  the 
miller  were  deep  in  one  of  their  long 
business-talks,  and  it  would  not  be  at 
all  worth  while  to  think  of  interrupting 
them. 

Kelly  was  busy  too,  in  his  own  way. 
Paint-pot  in  one  hand  and  brush  in  the 
other,  he  was  marking  bags  and  barrels, 
before  they  were  scattered  away,  to  give 
their  share  of  daily  bread  to  hungry 
people  far  and  near.  You  must  not 
suppose  that  Kelly  was  sending  out  a 
specimen  of  his  handwriting.  That  was 
none  of  the  best,  and  his  spelling  was 
still  less  to  be  relied  on,  though  he  had 
had  full  four  winters  at  the  village  school. 
Kelly  had  a  piece  of  tin,  in  which  was 


FAEMER  DODKINS.  75 

cut  in  large  letters,  "  T.  P.  Hilger,  Kirk- 
wood  mill."  Side  by  side  stood  the  full 
bags,  like  the  sacks  of  malt  in  the  "House 
that  Jack  built."  Bow  after  row,  flour- 
barrels  were  ranged  in  orderly  file.  On 
each  one  Kelly  put  the  proper  brand, 
>  and  still  Mr.  Hilger  and  farmer  Dod- 
kins  were  busily  talking.  Kelly  looked 
about  for  something  to  do.  Farmer 
Dodkins  had  thrown  his  capacious  linen 
coat  across  an  empty  barrel,  saying  as 
he  did  so,  "I  suppose  there  is  no  harm 
in  our  sitting  in  our  shirt-sleeves  in  the 
office.  I  go  for  comfort." 

Mr.  Hilger  "went  for  comfort"  too, 
as  everybody  knew.  So  the  two  were 
sitting  together  in  the  same  costume, 
while  the  broad-backed  linen  coat  lay 
temptingly  before  Kelly.  He  was  sure 
there  was  room  between  the  great  sleeves 
for  the  whole  of  the  brand.  He  laid  it 
on:  "  Yes,  plenty  of  room."  Without  a 


76  KELLY   NASH. 

thought,  dab,  dab  went  the  brush.  The 
tin  plate  was  lifted,  and  there  was  the 
mark,  plain  enough  to  be  read  forty  yards 
away. 

Kelly's  work  had  time  to  dry  before 
farmer  Dodkins  came  out  in  a  hurry, 
saying  he  had  staid  quite  too  long,  and 
must  be  " off  in  a  jifiy."  "Here,  boy, 
help  me  on  with  my  coat.  I  ;m  not  so 
supple  as  I  used  to  be." 

Kelly,  thus  called  upon,  was  right 
glad  to  obey,  taking  care  as  he  did  so  to 
keep  the  lettering  well  out  of  sight. 

Away  rode  farmer  DodkinS,  his  good 
bay  falling  at  once  into  its  usual  rapid 
even  walk. 

Kelly  gave  a  loud  cheer,  then  leaped 
over  barrels  and  bags  at  a  bound.  The 
miller  was  too  much  accustomed  to  such 
outbursts  to  be  surprised  or  annoyed  at 
them.  He  was  already  deep  in  adding 
up  a  column  of  figures,  and  did  not 


FAKMEB   DODKINS.  ft 

even  raise  his  head  to  see  what  was  the 
matter. 

Mr.  Hilger  was  much  in  farmer  Dod- 
kins'  mind  as  he  jogged  slowly  along. 
As  he  entered  the  main  street  of  the 
village,  he  was  surprised  to  hear  some 
school-children  who  passed  him  tittering, 
and  shouting,  "T.  P.  Hilger,  Kirkwood 
mill !"  "  T.  P.  Hilger,  Kirkwood  mill,7' 
seemed  to  be  in  everybody's  mouth  that 
forenoon.  It  was  whispered  on  every 
side,  and  loudly  hallooed  by  the  rough 
boj^s  at  the  corners,  who  seemed  to  think 
the  name  unspeakably  funny. 

Farmer  Dodkins  began  to  be  con 
cerned.  He  was  afraid  some  harm  was 
brewing  for  his  good  friend  the  miller. 
Could  it  be  he  was  going  to  "fail,"  after 
working  on  so  many  years  prosperously 
in  his  business?  With  this  thought  in 
his  mind  the  farmer  went  home  to  din 
ner.  He  had  but  dropped  a  letter  in 


78  KELLY   NASH. 

the  post-office,  without  getting  down  to 
speak  to  any  one  by  the  way,  so  Mrs. 
Dodkins  was  the  first  to  get  the  benefit 
of  his  anxious  questionings. 

She  too  was  full  of  astonishment  and 
curiosity,  and  there  is  no  saying  how 
they  might  have  concluded  to  solve  the 
mystery,  if  the  big  man  had  not  got 
up  from  the  table  to  help  himself  to  a 
glass  of  cider. 

Mrs.  Dodkins  needed  no  spectacles  to 
read  the  inscription  so  plainly  lettered 
on  her  husband's  broad  back.  No  won 
der  "T.  P.  Hilger,  Kirkwood  mill,"  had 
been  in  everybody's  mouth. 

11  Take  off  your  coat,  will  you?"  she 
said  quickly. 

Mr.  Dodkins  took  off  his  coat,  and  put 
it  on  again  in  a  twinkling.  There  was 
no  more  dinner  for  him  that  day.  He 
was  in  too  great  a  rage  for  any  thing  but 
vengeance.  The  bay  horse  had  to  go  out 


FABMEE   DODKINS.  79 

of  a  walk  that  time,  if  never  before  in 
his  life.  All  in  a  foam  he  was  tied  at 
the  door  of  the  mill.  In  rushed  farmer 
Dodkins,  his  face  crimson  with  indigna 
tion.  If  he  had  laid  hands  on  Kelly 
then,  he  would  hardly  have  left  a  whole 
bone  in  his  body.  As  it  was,  Kelly  was 
at  the  cooper's  enjoying  one  of  Mrs.  In- 
galls'  apple-dumplings,  and  giving  him 
self  no  concern  as  to  his  deeds  of  the 
morning. 

On  little  Mr.  Hilger  fell  the  full  ben 
efit  of  the  wrath  of  the  stout  farmer.  We 
should  be  loath  to  put  on  paper  all  the 
strong  language  Mr.  Dodkins  thought  fit 
to  use  on  the  occasion.  Kelly  certainly 
would  not  have  been  flattered  if  he  had 
heard  the  angry  man's  opinion  of  his 
character  and  his  probable  end. 

Mr.  Hilger  was  a  kindly,  good-na 
tured  little  fellow,  who  was  never  ruf 
fled  while  he  had  plenty  to  eat  and  to 


80  KELLY   NASH. 

wear,  and  good  Mrs.  Hilger  to  make  all 
pleasant  to  him  at  home.  He  stood  like 
a  frightened  sheep  in  a  thunder-storm  as 
his  neighbor  blazed  away,  heaping  wrath 
upon  wrath  in  his  fiery  indignation.  The 
boy  deserved  to  be  torn  limb  from  limb, 
according  to  his  verdict ;  but  his  utmost 
mercy  could  only  suggest  that  he  should 
be  at  once  discharged  from  Mr.  Hilger's 
employ,  and  never  again  suffered  to  show 
his  face  among  the  respectable  people  of 
Kirkwood.  He  might  go  where  his  old 
grandfather  had  gone,  and  nobody  would 
take  the  trouble  to  look  after  either  of 
them. 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  Mr.  Hilger 
saw  it  must  be  so.  He  must  give  up 
Kelly,  or  lose  Mr.  Bodkins'  favor  and 
custom.  Kelly,  as  the  person  to  blame, 
must  of  course  be  sacrificed.  That  night 
he  was  to  be  discharged,  that  very  night. 
These  were  Mr.  Bodkins'  only  terms  of 


FAEMEE   DODKINS.  81 

peace,  the  only  balm  that  could  heal  his 
wounded  dignity. 

A  little  cooled  off  by  the  full  expres 
sion  of  his  feelings,  farmer  Dodkins  rode 
away  from  the  mill,  leaving  Mr.  Hilger 
in  a  most  uncomfortable  state  of  mind. 
The  little  man  was  really  attached  to 
Kelly.  He  had  been  kind  to  the  boy, 
and  so  had  learned  to  love  him.  To  turn 
him  out  friendless  on  the  world  was  a 
hard  task  for  him,  yet  he  had  promised 
to  do  it.  He  must  be  severe  and  seem 
very  much  displeased,  and  try  to  do  the 
thing  properly. 

Up  and  down  the  mill  walked  Mr.  Hil 
ger,  striving  to  work  himself  up  to  the 
proper  pitch  of  indignation ;  but  just  at 
this  point  the  thought  of  Kelly's  pleasant 
face  greeting  him  in  the  morning  would 
quite  break  him  down,  and  he  would  ex 
claim,  "I  can't  do  it.;7 

Mr.  Hilger  knew  that  Kelly  had  been 


Kelly  Nash. 


82  KELLY   NASH. 

wrong,  very  wrong ;  and  yet  the  honest 
miller  was  inclined  to  take  a  part  of  the 
blame  on  himself.  He  had  been  amused 
by  Kelly,  and  had  laughed  many  a  time 
at  his  pranks,  when  he  should  have 
gravely  rebuked  them.  He  had  not 
thought  he  would  attempt  any  thing  so 
outrageous  as  this.  Two  years  Kelly 
had  been  with  Mr.  Hilger,  but  how  had 
he  been  the  better  for  his  influence?  So 
the  good  man  asked  himself,  as  he  walk 
ed  to  and  fro,  What  would  Mrs.  Hilger 
say  to  the  poor  boy's  being  turned  adrift 
in  such  a  sudden  way  ? 

"It  must  be  done,'7  was  Mr.  Hilger  ?s 
final  conclusion,  as  he  saw  Kelly  coming 
whistling  towards  the  mill. 


KELLY   FOKCED   TO   THINK.  83 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

KELLY  FOKCED   TO  THINK. 

KELLY  was  astounded  at  the  storm 
which  suddenly  burst  over  him.  He 
had  felt  as  much  at  home  at  the  mill  as 
Mr.  Hilger  himself;  had  almost  as  much 
considered  Kirkwood  mill  as  belonging 
to  him,  and  he  to  it.  "Old  Nash77  had 
said  Mr.  Hilger  could  not  do  without 
him,  and  Kelly  had  honestly  believed  it. 

Mr.  Hilger  had  tried  to  seem  indig- 
*nant,  but  it  was  plain  he  was  sorry  for 
the  boy,  and  was  doing  an  unwelcome 
duty. 

"  Never  you  mind,  Mr.  Hilger,77  said 
Kelly,  when  the  first  shock  was  over. 
"It  isn7t  your  fault,  any  way.  You 
must  n't  look  down-hearted  about  it ;  and 


84  KELLY   NASH. 

you  tell  Mrs.  Hilger,  I  sha'n't  forget  her 
doughnuts  wherever  I  go.'7 

The  boy,  even  in  the  midst  of  his  mis 
fortune,  could  not  bear  to  see  a  shadow 
on  the  face  of  his  friend. 

"Shall  I  start  off  to-night?77  Kelly 
pleasantly  said.  He  spoke  as  cheerily 
as  if  he  knew  whither  he  was  going. 

"Not  to-night,  not  to-night,  Kelly. 
It  7s  going  to  rain  again ;  and  besides,  I 
want  to  speak  to  you  in  the  morning,77 
said  Mr.  Hilger  decidedly.  The  miller 
had  a  dim  notion  that  his  wife  would 
have  some  desirable  suggestion  to  make 
as  to  Kelly7s  future.  He  would  rather 
talk  over  the  matter  with  her  before  he 
saw  the  poor  fellow  turning  his  back  for 
ever  on  the  mill. 

Kelly  had  brought  his  supper  with 
him  from  Mrs.  Ingalls',  not  intending  to 
go  there  again  that  night,  as  Mr.  Hilger 
had  told  him  in  the  morning  that  he  had 


KELLY   FORCED   TO   THINK.  85 

work  for  him  that  would  keep  him  busy 
long  after  dark. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  Kelly  ate  his 
supper  with  his  usual  appetite,  drum 
ming  his  feet  at  the  same  time  on  the 
barrel  on  which  he  was  sitting,  and  won 
dering  what  was  to  become  of  him. 

Much  in  the  same  mood  he  went  to 
sleep,  without  a  thought  of  prayer  to  the 
God  whose  word  has  said,  uln  all  thy 
ways  acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  di 
rect  thy  paths.77 

Kelly  was  a  sound  sleeper.  The  thun 
der  and  the  autumn  rain  rolled  and  rat 
tled  in  vain  around  him.  He  heard 
nothing  until  he  was  roused  by  a  strange 
rocking  and  heaving,  a  shaking  of  the 
room  where  he  was  as  if  by  an  earth 
quake.  Once  aroused,  he  too  plainly 
heard  the  wrenching  and  cracking  of 
heavy  timbers,  and  the  roaring  and  dash 
ing  without  of  something  more  than  tor- 


8G  KELLY  NASH. 

rents  of  rain.  He  threw  up  the  little 
window  and  looked  out  on  the  night. 
He  could  see  nothing  in  the  dense  dark 
ness.  Even  as  his  face  was  at  the  win 
dow,  a  tree  brushed  against  him  as  if  he 
were  swiftly  passing  it.  There  was  no 
tree  within  several  rods  of  the  mill.  The 
truth  burst  upon  him.  The  dam  had 
broken  away,  and  the  whole  force  of  the 
millpond  was  urging  the  great  wooden 
mill  on,  on,  down  the  roaring  stream. 

It  took  but  a  second  for  these  thoughts 
to  rush  through  Kelly's  mind.  There 
was  another  brush  of  the  branches  across 
his  face.  He  laid  hold  of  the  bough, 
and  threw  himself  into  the  strong  tree, 
which  as  yet  had  resisted  the  force  of 
the  roaring  waters.  The  mill  swept  past 
him,  and  clinging  to  the  swaying  bough, 
he  hung  over  the  threatening  flood  be 
low. 

Now  Kelly  Nash  was  forced  to  think. 


KELLY   FOECED   TO   THINK.  87 

Death,  sudden  death  was  closely  threat 
ening  him.  He  knew  not  how  firmly 
rooted  was  the  tree  in  which  he  had 
taken  shelter.  Another  burst  of  the 
leaping  waters,  and  he  and  it  might  be 
borne  helplessly  down  the  stream.  His 
whole  life  passed  quickly  before  him,  a 
worthless,  wasted  life.  In  his  thought 
less  folly  he  had  not  taken  one  step  tow 
ards  preparation  for  the  never-ending 
eternity  beyond  the  grave.  The  horrors 
of  everlasting  punishment  were  heavy 
upon  him.  He  could  almost  fancy  he 
heard  the  demons  rejoicing  that  he  was 
so  soon  coming  to  their  abode  of  misery. 
An  offended  God,  a  slighted  Saviour,  a 
heaven  lost :  on  these  sad,  fearfully  sad 
thoughts  Kelly  was  forced  to  dwell. 
Who  but  the  dying  sinner  can  picture 
such  agony  as  he  endured?  No  hope 
came  to  cheer  him,  no  hope  for  this 
world  or  the  next.  Youth  and  a  merry 


88  KELLY  NASH. 

temper  could  not  avail  him  then.  He 
could  trifle  no  longer ;  he  was  forced  to 
think,  when  thought  was  bitter  anguish. 
What  would  he  not  have  given  then  for 
little  Annie's  simple,  trusting  spirit! 
"What  would  he  not  have  given  to  have 
been,  like  her,  a  child  of  G-od !  What 
would  not  he  have  given  to  have  been 
even  like  Truman,  in  the  midst  of  many 
failures,  at  least  trying  to  do  right ! 

To  such  an  hour  we  must  all  come. 
The  writer  and  every  reader  of  this 
book  must  stand  face  to  face  with  death. 
We  may  laugh  and  trifle  when  we  fancy 
that  it  is  long  ere  we  shall  lie  down  in 
the  grave,  but  we  shall  not  laugh  or  trifle 
then.  That  hour  may  come  soon,  sooner 
than  we  think.  It  may  come  swiftly  and 
suddenly.  It  may  be  even  now  at  hand. 
God  grant  that  it  may  find  us  owning 
Christ  as  our  refuge,  and  safe  in  his 
everlasting  arms. 


KIKKWOOD   BUN.  89 

CHAPTER  IX. 

KIRKWOOD    EUN. 

KIRKWOOD  Run  had  long  had  a  very 
doubtful  reputation  among  the  villagers. 
Smooth  and  peaceful  as  were  its  waters 
in  fair  weather,  even  a  summer  shower 
would  set  it  to  rolling  and  tossing  like  a 
little  sea.  Down  the  sides  of  its  narrow 
valley  a  sudden  storm  would  send  a  thou 
sand  little  streams,  leaping  along  what 
had  yesterday  been  but  dry  gullies  on  the 
hill-side.  The  old  folks  of  Kirkwood  had 
a  story  of  a  terrible  flood  in  their  young 
days,  when  the  few  houses  then  in  the 
village  were  swept  away,  the  inhabitants 
escaping  as  by  a  miracle.  These  good 
people  had  learned  a  lesson ;  and  when 
they  rebuilt  their  homes,  they  were  care 
ful  to  keep  clear  of  the  uncertain  stream, 


90  KELLY  NASH. 

leaving  it  room  to  overflow  as  it  would, 
while  their  cottages  were  safely  perched 
far  up  the  slope  that  gently  rose  from  its 
banks. 

The  mill  of  course  must  be  by  the  wa 
ter-side.  There  it  had  stood  unharmed 
for  forty  years,  and  yet  many  an  anx 
ious  glance  had  been  turned  towards  it 
when  Kirkwood  Run  had  its  spring  flood, 
or  was  swollen  by  some  sudden  deluge 
of  rain. 

There  were  many  eyes  and  ears  in 
Kirkwood  that  fatal  night  more  wakeful 
than  those  of  Kelly  Nash.  The  roar  and 
crash  which  roused  him  from  his  slum 
bers,  startled  sleepers  who  were  not  like 
him  in  the  midst  of  the  horrible  tumult. 
Lights  began  to  twinkle  at  various  win 
dows,  and  before  long  neighbors  were 
meeting  in  the  rain  and  darkness,  all 
eager  to  know  what  mischief  had  been 
done.  Anxious  as  they  were,  they  were 


KIKKWOOD   BUN.  91 

forced  to  wait  for  the  coming  of  day 
light  ;  for  in  the  wind  and  rain  their  glim 
mering,  flickering  lanterns  were  little  bet 
ter  for  guides  than  fireflies  in  a  forest. 

Among  the  watchers  for  the  dawn 
none  were  more  impatient  than  Mr.  Hil- 
ger.  The  mill,  it  is  true,  was  farmer 
Dodkins'  property ;  but  Mr.  Hilger  had 
more  flour  and  grain  stored  in  it  than 
he  cared  to  lose.  We  must  do  the  good 
man  justice,  however.  He  would  will 
ingly  have  heard  that  every  grain  of 
wheat  and  every  pound  of  flour  of  his 
best  brand  were  afloat,  if  he  could  but 
have  been  sure  that  the  orphan-boy  was 
safe.  Kelly's  bright  young  face  came 
before  him  as  it  had  looked  up  to  him 
so  cheerfully  in  his  misfortune ;  and  Mr. 
Hilger  was  surprised  to  find  what  a  deep 
hold  the  boy  had  taken  on  his  affection 
ate  heart.  Mrs.  Hilger  was  by  no  means 
a  comfort  through  the  dreary  hours  of 


92  KELLY  NASH. 

that  long  stormy  night.  She  scolded 
her  husband  right  heartily  for  having 
talked  of  dismissing  Kelly ;  for  allowing 
him  to  sleep  at  the  mill ;  for  not  foresee 
ing  the  storm ;  for  any  thing  and  every 
thing  that  could  in  any  way  bear  upon 
the  accident.  "The  fuller  the  milk-pot, 
the  more  sour  milk  after  thunder/7  says 
the  proverb,  and  so  it  seemed  to  be  with 
Mrs.  Hilger.  The  more  kindliness  and 
thoughtfulness  for  others  she  had  in  com 
mon  times,  the  more  fretting  and  scold 
ing  she  had  in  store  when  any  real  trou 
ble  came  up.  Mrs.  Hilger  was  a  kindly 
woman  of  this  world.  She  had  never 
learned  to  take  small  trials  and  great 
patiently,  as  from  the  hand  of  a  merciful 
heavenly  Father.  She  had  none  of  the 
spirit  which  exclaims,  "The  Lord  gave, 
and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away  ;  blessed 
be  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

We  gladly  turn  from  the  miller's  home 


KIKKWOOD   BUN.  93 

to  the  little  circle  gathered  in  John  In- 
galls'  family-room.  John  was  a  shrewd, 
sensible  man.  He  knew  well  the  situa 
tion  of  the  mill.  His  keen  ears  had  de 
tected  something  more  than  the  roar  of 
the  swollen  stream  in  the  wrenching, 
creaking  sounds  that  had  reached  him. 
He  did  not  doubt  that  the  mill-dam  had 
given  way,  and  the  mill  itself  had  been 
torn  from  its  foundations  by  the  rushing 
waters.  His  eye  fell  sadly  on  the  two 
young  faces  that  looked  up  to  his  with 
silent  questionings.  Annie  was  the  first 
to  speak. 

"  Oh,  Father,  do  you  think  Kelly  is 
safe  ?"  she  ventured  to  say. 

uHe  may  be,  my  child.  We  cannot 
know  until  the  morning.  We  can  at 
least  pray  for  him/7  said  John  solemnly. 

Very  earnest  was  the  prayer  that  went 
up  for  the  orphan-boy ;  all  felt  the  fear 
ful  peril  of  his  situation.  If  he  were 


94  KELLY   NASH.. 

taken  away,  they  could  not  dare  to  hope 
that  he  was  gathered  as  a  child  to  his 
heavenly  Father's  bosom. 

Poor  Truman  was  haunted  by  bitter 
self-reproach.  Many  a  time  had  he  re 
proved  Kelly  in  anger,  but  when  had  he 
gently  and  tenderly  pleaded  with  him  to 
seek  the  narrow  way?  What  a  miser 
able  lesson  had  he  taught  by  his  halting, 
uncertain,  too  often  injurious  example. 
Truman  knew  that  he  had  been  his 
11  brother's  keeper/7  and  had  failed  in 
the  awful  trust.  Ah,  how  he  longed  to 
know  that  Kelly  was  safe,  and  that  he 
might  be  to  him  henceforward  a  faithful 
Christian  friend. 

Annie  had  no  thought  of  self  in  this 
time  of  trial.  She  had  but  one  absorb 
ing,  deep-seated  conviction — that  Christ 
was  strong  to  save.  He  had  hushed  the 
waters  of  stormy  Gennesaret.  He  had 
put  out  his  hand  to  the  sinking  Peter, 


KIKKWOOD   BUN.  95 

and  brought  the  ship  of  the  disciples  at 
once  to  the  •"  haven  whither  they  went." 
She  knew  Him  to  be  full  of  mercy  as 
well  as  full  of  power.  In  the  silence  of 
her  own  little  room  she  pleaded  long  and 
importunately  for  poor  Kelly,  and  she 
believed  that  her  prayer  was  heard. 

Even  John  himself  felt  comforted  and 
sustained  by  her  sweet  look  of  trustful 
faith  as  she  said,  "Father,  I  am  sure 
God  will  save  him.77 

Mrs.  Ingalls  put  her  arm  round  her 
little  girl  and  drew  her  to  he£  bosom  in 
the  tenderness  of  a  Christian  mother's 
deep  affection. 

Truman  alone  looked  full  of  gloom. 

With  the  first  streaks  of  the  dawn  the 
hill-side  was  covered  with  eager,  anx 
ious  watchers.  Dark  objects  could  be 
dimly  seen  tossing  on  the  rolling  tide, 
but  it  was  as  yet  vain  to  ask  as  to  the 
fate  of  the  mill ;  the  road  thither  was  all 


96  KELLY   NASH. 

overflowed,  and  not  yet  could  the  strain 
ing  eyes  see  one  trace  of  its  outline. 
Now  the  few  trees  standing  in  the  water 
came  slowly  out  of  the  darkness,  but  the 
great  square  building  all  were  longing  to 
see,  had  vanished  from  its  well-known 
place.  Timbers  and  struggling  cattle 
were  whirled  together  along  the  rolling 
tide,  but  no  human  voice  mingled  with 
the  wild  wails  of  the  poor  frightened 
beasts.  Where  was  Kelly?  Where 
was  poor  Kelly  Nash  ? 

"  I  should  n't  think  you  ;d  sleep  well 
again  till  your  dying  day/7  said  Mrs. 
Hilger  to  her  disconsolate  husband. 

"  1 711  give  my  white  horse  to  any  one 
who  will  bring  me  news  of  the  boy,  dead 
or  alive/7  said  the  miller. 

"He7s  gone,  Annie,  he  7s  gone,  and  I 
shall  never  get  over  it,77  said  Truman,  as 
with  an  eager,  searching  glance  he  looked 
out  over  the  waters. 


KIKKWOOD   KUN.  91 

"I  believe  he  is  safe,  Truman.  God 
will  take  care  of  him.  We  must  find 
him.  Father  will  know  what  is  best  to 
be  done.  Father !" 

John  Ingalls  did  not  often  turn  a  deaf 
ear  to  Annie's  voice;  but  now  his  eye 
was  fixed  on  a  dark  object  crouched 
among  the  boughs  of  an  oak  that  had 
once  stood  by  the  river-side  below  the 
mill.  The  mill  was  gone;  but  firmly 
rooted,  the  aged  tree  towered  above  the 
tossing  tide. 

John  Ingalls  swept  his  hand  quickly 
across  his  moistened  eyes.  It  was  not 
that  they  were  weary  with  their  strain 
ing  gaze.  " Thank  God,"  he  murmured; 
"  I  believe  that  ?s  the  boy." 

"  Where,  father,  where  ?"  was  Annie's 
eager  question. 

John's  steady  finger  pointed  out  the 
spot.  There  certainly  was  a  human  fig 
ure  crouching  among  the  gnarled  branches 

Kelly  Nash.  7 


98  KELLY  NASH. 

that  stretched  their  helpless  arms  above 
the  misery  and  destruction  below. 

"No  boat  would  be  safe  in  that  tor 
rent/'  said  a  bystander.  "What's  to 
become  of  the  boy  ?  He  711  get  dizzy 
and  drop,  now  the  daylight  has  come. 
The  night  was  better  for  him." 

John  Ingalls  did  not  stay  to  listen  to 
any  such  prophecies.  In  another  mo 
ment  he  was  beside  his  cooper's  shop, 
loading  up  a  great  wagon  with  his  whole 
stock  of  empty  barrels,  and  putting  in 
the  heads  as  carefully  as  if  they  were 
filled  with  the  finest  flour.  The  villa 
gers  lent  him  their  aid,  sure  that  he  had 
some  plan  for  good  in  his  thoughtful 
head. 

"  Can  we  save  him  ?"  half  gasped  Tru 
man. 

"We  will  try,77  said  John  in  a  low, 
deep  voice. 

Annie  gave  a  trustful  smile  as  she 


KIKKWOOD   KUN.  99 

said,  "I  am  sure  you  will  succeed,  father. 
I  wish  Kelly  would  think  to  look  aloft. 
That  helped  me  a  great  deal  when  I  was 
coming  down  the  rope." 

Kelly  had  not  forgotten  Annie's  soul- 
deep  maxim.  Truman  had  told  him  her 
simple  story  of  all  she  thought  and  felt 
while  passing  along  the  perilous  rope. 
Sickened  with  the  sight  of  the  dashing 
waters  and  the  poor  drowning  beasts, 
Kelly  was  trying  to  look  up  into  the 
clear  morning  sky.  Loathing  himself 
and  his  sins,  he  was  trying  to  look  up  to 
the  face  of  Grod  and  ask  forgiveness  for 
Jesus7  sake. 

John  Ingalls  had  driven  his  load  of 
barrels  to  the  very  borders  of  the  swol 
len  stream.  Now,  with  the  assistance 
of  the  eager  villagers,  he  was  making  a 
raft  after  his  own  fashion,  Lashing  the 
barrels  together  with  strong  ropes,  he 
made  them  firm  ;  then  a  score  or  two  of 


100  KELLY   NASH. 

long  nails  made  fast  the  planks  which 
were  laid  across  them.  The  raft  was 
ready  to  be  pushed  off,  and  John  sprang 
upon  it  alone. 

"Fll  go  too/7  said  Mr.  Hilger  in  an 
eager,  flurried  way. 

"No,  that  you  sha'n't.  YouVe  mis 
chief  enough  on  your  head  without  mak 
ing  me  a  widow,"  said  his  wife,  laying 
violent  hands  on  her  good  man,  whom 
she  verily  thought  half  distracted. 

Truman  was  not  courageous  by  na 
ture.  He  -was  not  a  boy  to  delight  in 
danger,  and  find  fun  in  hairbreadth 
escapes.  Now  he  thought  of  death,  of 
parting  with  his  mother  and  Annie,  of 
the  gurgling  waters  closing  round  his 
head,  before  he  spoke ;  yet  when  he  did 
speak,  his  voice  was  steady.  G-od  help 
ing  him,  he  would  risk  all. 

"  May  I  go,  father  ?  I  am  willing.  I 
want  to  go/7  he  said  earnestly. 


KIRKWOOD   RUN.  ,  101 

John  Ingalls  sought  the  face  of  his  wife 
amid  the  crowd  on  the  bank.  Her  eyes 
were  full  of  tears,  but  she  bowed  the 
assent  she  could  not  speak. 

"  We  can  pray  for  them,77  said  Annie, 
pressing  close  to  her  mother's  side. 

John  Ingalls  had  launched  his  raft 
above  the  spot  where  the  old  oak  stood, 
so  that  it  would  naturally  float  past  it  on 
its  way  down  stream. 

Standing  with  his  feet  firmly  planted, 
he  held  a  strong  rope  with  a  weight  at 
the  end,  which  he  meant  to  throw  round 
the  trunk,  that  he  might  stay  the  raft 
right  under  the  branches. 

There  was  breathless  silence  on  the 
shore  as  the  strange  craft  swept  rapidly 
on  its  way. 

Kelly  saw  it,  and  his  heart  welled  over 
with  gratitude  to  the  friends  who  were 
so  true  .to  him  in  his  hour  of  danger. 
The  raft  struck  the  tree  with  a  force  that 


102  KELLY   NASH. 

shook  it  to  its  topmost  bough.  Truman 
fell  for  a  moment,  but  John  stood  firm, 
casting  at  the  right  moment  his  coil  round 
the  oak. 

"Now,  my  boy;  lend  a  hand  now," 
shouted  John.  By  their  joint  efforts 
they  made  fast  the  raft;  then  for  the 
first  time  they  spoke  to  Kelly. 

"Come  down,  lad,  along  the  trunk; 
we  711  catch  you  if  you  fall,"  said  John 
cheerily. 

Kelly  tried  in  vain  to  speak  or  move. 
His  tongue  clung  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth. 
His  cramped  limbs  were  no  longer  under 
his  control.  "I'll  go  up  to  him,"  said 
Truman,  who  had  now  lost  all  thought 
of  self. 

The  tall  trunk  was  half  under  the  wa 
ter,  so  that  the  distance  to  climb  was  not 
great  for  an  active  lad  used  to  such  feats. 
In  a  few  moments  Truman's  warm  hand 
had  seized  Kelly's  cold  fingers,  and  his 


KIRKWOOD   RUN.  103 

familiar  voice  said,  "Now,  come  on, 
Kelly;  we  can  go  down  together  first- 
rate." 

Kelly  made  a  great  effort,  and  was 
able  to  suffer  himself  to  be  more  dragged 
than  guided  to  the  place  where  the  strong 
branch  met  the  parent  tree.  There,  he 
could  do  no  more. 

"Drop  down ;  1 711  catch  you,"  shouted 
John  from  below.  "  Be  quick  ;  we  can't 
stand  this  long.  We  shall  be  washed 
down  stream." 

John's  powerful  arms  were  uplifted. 
Kelly  dropped  into  them,  a  heavy  load 
that  made  the  stout  cooper  stagger  and 
sink  to  his  knees.  Truman  was  by  his 
side  in  a  moment,  and  stooping  down,  he 
sustained  poor  Kelly  while  his  father 
loosened  the  rope  that  had  done  them 
such  good  service. 

Now  was  the  time  for  friends  on  shore 
to  ply  will  and  muscle  to  bring  the  raft 


104  KELLY   NASH. 

safe  to  land.  They  had  run  along  the 
shore  with  one  end  of  a  rope  which  John 
had  left  in  their  hands,  while  the  other 
end  was  fast  to  the  raft. 

"  A  long  pull  and  a  strong  pull,  and 
a  pull  all  together/7  they  tried  again  and 
again,  yet  the  tossing  raft  would  not  near 
the  shore. 

"You  can't  do  it,"  shouted  John. 
"  Hold  fast  to  your  end,  and  we  ?11  come 
ashore  along  the  rope.  Now,  Kelly,  put 
your  arms  right  round  my  neck,  and 
hold  on  for  dear  life.  Trust  in  Grod. 
•Hold  on,  and  all  will  be  well.  God  will 
take  care  of  you,  Truman.  When  you 
see  us  safe  ashore,  lay  hold  and  follow 
us.77 

John  Ingalls  was  a  powerful,  athletic 
man,  a  practised  swimmer,  fearless  by 
nature,  and  above  all,  fearless  through 
his  firm  trust  in  God.  He  knew  he  was 
doing  right,  and  he  had  no  misgiving. 


KIRKWOOD   BUN.  105 

Heaven  was  for  him  the  better  country, 
whether  he  entered  it  from  a  painful 
sick-bed,  or  through  the  gate  of  the  deep 
waters. 

Kelly  had  but  one  thought,  to  hold  on 
firmly;  and  he  did  cling  right  manfully, 
even  when  the  cold  stream  flowed  over 
him  as  the  rope  swayed  and  plunged 
them  both  for  an  instant  out  of  sight. 

Who  shall  tell  the  deafening  cheer 
that  followed  the  breathless  silence  of 
the  watchers  on  shore  ? 

"Give  him  to  me.  You  shall  have 
my  white  horse,  John,"  shouted  Mr.  Hil- 
ger.  Not  of  Kelly,  nor  of  man  or  horse 
thought  John  Ingalls  at  that  moment. 
His  eye  was  fixed  on  his  only  son,  just 
starting  on  his  perilous  journey  over  the 
waves. 

Another  strong  arm  instantly  laid  hold 
of  the  rope,  which  now  struggled  and 
jerked  like  a  living  thing.  The  whole 


106  KELLY  NASH. 

power  of  the  current  was  forcing  the  raft 
down  the  stream — now  in  sight,  now 
for  the  moment  vanishing,  as  Truman 
came  along  the  perilous  path.  More 
than  half  of  his  terrible  way  was  passed, 
when  the  rope  broke  between  him  and 
the  raft,  and  he  suddenly  sank  in  the 
deep  flood. 

Back  fell  the  sturdy  men  who  had 
been  pulling  with  might  and  main.  No 
smile  followed  their  sudden  overthrow. 
They  sprang  to  their  feet.  Truman  rose, 
then  sank  again.  It  was  plain  he  had 
lost  his  hold  of  the  rope. 

John  Ingalls  waited  no  longer,  but 
struck  out  for  the  spot  where  his  son 
was  drowning  before  his  eyes.  Even  in 
that  hour  of  peril  his  presence  of  mind 
did  not  forsake  him.  He  kept  firm  hold 
of  the  rope,  sure  that  if  he  once  had  Tru 
man  in  his  grasp,  they  could  be  safely 
drawn  to  the  shore. 


KIKKWOOD   RUN.  101 

Truman  did  not  feel  his  father's  arm 
around  him  as  they  were  pulled  swiftly 
through  the  cold  current.  John  Ingalls 
knew  that  he  might  be  bearing  but  the 
lifeless  body  of  his  boy,  but  his  heart 
fainted  not.  He  had  striven  to  do  his 
duty,  and  he  was  sure  that  God  would 
sustain  him,  though  his  hand  might  be 
laid  heavily  upon  him  in  a  sore  chastise 
ment. 


108  KELLY   NASH. 

fc 

CHAPTER  X. 

THE   HQSPITAL. 

"I  SHALL  have  to  put  out  a  sign,  'Hos 
pital  for  boys/77  said  Mrs.  Ingalls  play 
fully. 

"  I  am  sure  you  would  have  plenty  of 
applications/7  said  Kelly  Nash  from  his 
white  bed;  "you  have  such  a  way  of 


nursing.77 


There  was  no  voice  from  Truman7s 
cot;  yet  he  turned  upon  his  mother  a 
glance  more  loving  than  that  of  the  sick 
soldier  who  kissed  the  shadow  of  Flor 
ence  Nightingale  as  it  fell  on  the  wall  at 
his  side. 

"I'm  about  ready  to  get  up,77  said 
Kelly  with  an  inquiring  look  at  his  nurse. 

"Not  to-day,77  said  Mrs.  Ingalls  de 
cidedly.  ' '  The  doctor  said  you  were 


THE    HOSPITAL.  109 

both  to  be  kept  in  bed  at  least  twenty- 
four  hours.  I  am  sure  that  is  not  hard 
to  bear/7 

" Indeed  it  is  not;  but,  Mrs.  Ingalls, 
may  we  talk  now  ?77  said  Kelly. 

"Talk  as  much  as  you  please,"  was 
Mrs.  Ingalls'  answer  as  she  left  the  room. 

Notwithstanding  this  free  permission, 
the  boys,  after  they  were  alone,  were 
silent  for  a  few  moments. 

Truman  was  the  first  to  speak.  "Oh, 
Kelly,"  he  said,  "you  can't  think  what  a 
comfort  it  has  been  for  me  to  lie  here 
and  see  you  really  alive.  I  do  n't  know 
what  would  have  become  of  me  if  you 
had  died.71 

"I  know  too  well  what  would  have 
become  of  me/7  said  Kelly  with  a  shud 
der.  "  I  mean  to  be  a  different  boy,  and 
you  must  help  me,  Truman.77 

"  It  was  just  that  I  had  never  given 
you  any  help  which  hung  so  heavy  on 


110  KELLY   NASH.. 

my  mind,"  said  his  companion.  "I  felt 
as  though  I  might  perhaps  have  saved 
you,  and  I  had  never  tried.  I  knew  I 
had  n't  done  you  a  bit  of  good  by  my 
example.  Perhaps  you  do  n't  even  think 
now  there  's  the  right  thing  in  me." 

"  Oh,  Truman,  don't  say  that,"  ex 
claimed  Kelly.  "I  didn't  understand 
you  before ;  but  I  felt,  when  I  was  hang 
ing  there  over  the  water,  there  was  a 
difference  between  us.  You  had  thought 
and  tried,  and  I — I—  Kelly  covered 
his  face  with  his  hands  for  a  few  mo 
ments,  and  then  he  added,  "The  right 
thing  not  in  you,  Truman,  when  you 
risked  your  life  to  save  me!  I  know 
how  you  hate  danger  unless  you  are 
angry.  It  is  not  natural  to  you  to  run 
risks  as  some  boys  do ;  and  yet  you  went 
right  straight  in  the  face  of  death  for 
me.  You  must  have  felt  sure  that  if 
you  were  drowned,  God  would  take  care 


THE   HOSPITAL.  Ill 

of  you ;  and  I  believe  he  would.  I  sha'n't 
make  fun  of  you  any  more,  Truman,  when 
you  do  wrong.  I  mean  to  try  too.  But 
I  am  such  a  foolish  fellow,  I  am  afraid  I 
shall  never  be  able  to  think  to  do  what  I 
ought.7' 

John  Ingalls  came  in  just  as  Kelly 
was  speaking,  and  chanced  to  overhear 
the  last  words. 

"  There  's  no  kind  of  person  who  can't 
do  right  if  he  tries/7  said  John.  "  You 
must  n't  think,  Kelly,  that  you  can't  be 
a  good  boy  because  you  will  never  be 
like  Truman,  or  our  Annie,  bless  her. 
There  are  not  many  like  her  out  of  heav 
en.  It  is  natural  to  you  to  be  merry  as 
a  cricket,  and  take  all  things  easy.  It  is 
well  for  us  that  there  are  some  such 
folks  in  this  sorrowful  world.  A  cheer 
ful  disposition  is  a  good  gift,  and  not  to 
be  despised  when  it  has  God's  grace  to 
keep  it  from  going  too  far.  The  ques- 


112  KELLY   NASH. 

tlon  for  you,  Kelly,  is  not,  Can  I  be  like 
this  person  or  that  person  ?  Here  7s  the 
root  of  the  matter :  Are  you  sorry  from 
your  soul  that  you  have  wasted  all  the 
years  of  your  life,  and  have  not  striven 
to  keep  one  command  of  the  God  who 
made  you  ?" 

A  sob  from  Kelly  was  the  only  reply. 

"I  know  you  are  sorry,  my  boy.  You 
have  been  taught  a  bitter  lesson/7  said 
John,  going  up  to  the  bedside.  "But 
that  is  not  all,  blessed  be  Glod.  Are  you 
willing  to  be  saved  by  Christ — forgiven 
all  the  past  for  his  sake  ?77 

"Oh,  Mr.  Ingalls/7  exclaimed  Kelly, 
"willing?  so  thankful!77 

"Now,  my  boy,77  continued  John, 
"you7ve  got  a  plain  path  before  you. 
You  needn7t  ever  expect  to  be  like 
Truman ;  you  ?ve  nothing  to  do  with  him 
or  anybody  else.  You  7ve  got,  by  God7s 
help,  to  make  yourself,  Kelly  Nash,  the 


THE   HOSPITAL.  113 

best  and  most  useful  boy  you  can.  1 '11 
tell  you  something  for  your  encourage 
ment.  Do  you  like  Mrs.  Ingalls  ?  Don't 
everybody  like  her  ?  Is  n't  it  enough  to 
make  one  light-hearted  all  day  to  hear 
her  go  singing  about  the  house  when  the 
day  is  breaking?  Isn't  her  cheerful 
spirit  the  very  life  of  every  one  of  us  ? 
Well,  that's  all  nature.  She  was  just 
like  a  bird  when  I  first  knew  her,  merry 
as  a  lark  all  the  time.  But  if  there  was 
any  nonsense  going  on,  any  frolicking  to 
be  done,  she  was  first  and  foremost  in  it, 
never  giving  a  thought  whether  she  pull 
ed  the  house  down  over  her  head,  so  she 
had  her  fun  out.  You  7d  hardly  believe 
it  now.  Grace  has  come  in  and  sobered 
her  down,  and  made  her  just  what  she 
is.  Who  7d  want  the  dimples  smoothed 
out  of  her  face  and  the  twinkle  taken  out 
of  her  eye  ?  There  7s  nothing  wrong  in 
them.  She  7s  that  sort  of  a  person,  and 


114  v  KELLY   NASH. 

a  better  Christian  for  a  wife  never  a  man 
had.  So  take  heart,  Kelly.  You  be  in 
earnest,  trying  to  do  right,  and  your 
lively  temper  will  just  cheer  up  those 
that  ought  to  be  cheered,  and  give  sun 
shine  just  where  it  is  wanted.  There 
now,  1 7ve  preached  you  a  real  sermon.77 

Kelly  grasped  John's  hand,  and  held 
it  a  moment  between  both  his  own ;  but 
he  made  no  other  answer  to  John's  faith 
ful  words  of  advice. 

To  Truman  the  father  gave  no  coun 
sel.  He  was  sure  that  the  good  seed  had 
taken  root  in  the  heart  of  his  son.  Grod 
was  sending  such  storm  and  sunshine  as 
would  best  bring  it  to  perfection.  He 
had  but  to  watch  and  wait,  and  in  due 
time  he  should  see  the  precious  fruit. 


LOVE    AND   DUTY.  115 

CHAPTER  XI. 

LOVE  AND  DUTY. 

FOR  the  first  time  in  his  life  Kelly 
Nash  was  learning  what  it  was  to  love 
truly  and  deeply.  The  risks  Mr.  In- 
galls  and  Truman  had  run  for  his  sake, 
and  the  unwearied  kindness  of  Mrs.  In- 
galls  and  Annie,  had  awakened  in  him 
an  affection  stronger  than  he  had  ever 
felt  before.  It  is  a  strange  part  of  our 
nature,  that  the  habit  of  loving  one  per 
son  makes  us  more  kindly  in  our  feel 
ings  to  others.  In  the  warmth  and  kind 
liness  of  the  Ingalls'  home,  Kelly  was 
beginning  to  yearn  after  his  old  grand 
father,  and  to  remember  his  years  of 
patient  forbearance  with  the  wild  and 
wayward  boy,  Kelly  Nash. 


116  KELLY   NASH. 

Kelly  was  going  to  take  his  first  long 
walk  after  the  lameness  and  stiffness 
which  followed  his  fearful  exposure  to 
the  chilling  night  air  and  the  colder 
waters.  Past  the  old  foundation  of  the 
mill  he  slowly  took  his  way,  full  of  grat 
itude  to  the  kind  Providence  that  had 
spared  his  unworthy  life.  On,  up  the 
valley  he  bent  his  steps,  to  see  once  more 
the  home  of  his  boyhood. 

The  hut  on  the  hill-side  had  escaped 
the  destruction  that  swept  all  before  it 
in  the  valley.  As  Kelly  drew  near  it 
in  the  early  morning,  he  fancied  he  saw 
a  slender  line  of  smoke  issuing  from  the 
low  chimney.  It  might,  it  must  be  a 
wreath  of  mist,  he  reasoned.  Yet  he 
quickened  his  steps,  and  eagerly  thrust 
open  the  door. 

In  the  dimness  within,  there  \vas  a  fig 
ure  busying  itself  about  the  fire  of  brush 
wood  kindled  on  the  hearth.  Kelly 


LOVE   AND   DUTY.  lit 

sprang  forward.  ' '  Grandpa,  dear  grand 
pa/7  burst  from  his  lips. 

"My  lad,  my  little  lad,"  said  the  old 
man,  dropping  down  on  his  low  seat  and 
crying  like  a  child.  "  They  told  me  the 
mill  was  gone  and  you  were  drowned, 
•but  I  did  n't  believe  it.  I  come  myself 
to  see.  My  lad,  my  little  lad,  and  you 
are  glad  to  see  your  grandpa  too.  You 
are  glad  to  see  your  old  grandpa/7  and 
the  tears  came  again  into  his  eyes  as  he 
drew  Kelly  to  his  side. 

"  That  I  am.  I  never  did  half  enough 
for  you  when  you  were  here  before/7  said 
Kelly  earnestly.  "But  when  did  you 
come  ?'? 

"I  opened  the  old  door  just  as  the 
day  was  breaking.  I  thought  1 7d  make 
a  fire  and  have  things  comfortable,  and 
then  look  you  up.  I  was  sure  I  should 
find  you  ;'7  and  the  simple  old  man  gazed 
lovingly  at  Kelly. 


118  KELLY   NASH. 

The  poor  hovel  was  any  thing  but  com 
fortable,  after  Mrs.  Ingalls7  neat,  cheer 
ful  home  ;  but  Kelly  felt  the  thoughtful 
kindness  that  was  making  ready  for  him, 
and  said,  "  You  Ve  got  a  fine  fire,  grand 
pa.  You  know  how  to  put  the  sticks  to 
gether  right  well." 

"  Old  Nash"  sat  down,  and  resting  his 
hands  on  his  knees,  looked  for  a  moment 
in  silence  at  Kelly ;  then  he  said  slowly, 
"  Drowning  does  folks  good,  I  believe. 
Tell  me  all  about  it,  my  lad." 

Kelly  did  tell  his  story,  and  the  old 
man  cried  and  laughed  by  turns  as  he 
heard  of  his  danger  and  his  deliverance. 
Of  his  penitence,  his  humble  trust,  and 
his  desire  to  lead  a  better  life,  Kelly  did 
not  fail  to  speak.  To  this  the  old  man 
at  first  made  no  answer ;  but  after  a  few 
moments  he  looked  up  suddenly  and  said, 
"  Those  things  a'n't  so  very  plain  to  me, 
Kelly.  I  never  was  brought  up  that 


LOVE   AND   DUTY.  119 

way.  But  you  are  so  quick,  my  lad, 
you'll  soon  have  them  all  right,  and  then 
you  must  teach  your  grandpa.  You  see, 
they  laid  7em  side  by  side,  them  that  7s 
gone.  I  7ve  been  sittin7  by  them  a  good 
deal  along  back,  and  thinkin7 1 7d  be  put- 
tin7  my  old  head  under  ground  one  of 
these  days  too.  There  7s  more  that  ought 
to  go  with  that.  It  comes  out  of  the  good 
book.  May-be  you  11  read  about  it  to 
me  some  of  these  days.  You  are  such  a 
scholar.77 

"I7m  not  the  scholar  I  ought  to  be,77 
said  Kelly,  remembering  his  wasted  time 
at  school,  "but  I  mean  to  learn  to  read 
better  and  better ;  and  we  711  have  some 
of  the  good  book  every  day,  wont  we, 
grandpa  ?77 

"  Just  as  you  say,  Kelly,77  said  the  old 
man  in  his  usual  dependent  way. 

"  You  do  n7t  mean  to  stay  here,  grand 
pa,77  said  Kelly,  looking  about  him. 


120  KELLY   NASH. 

"  Why,  you  7d  catch  cold.  See,  the  glass 
is  about  gone  from  the  windows." 

"  Where  else  should  I  stay?  Here's 
home,77  said  "Old  Nash77  wonderingly. 
"  Why,  I  couldn't  sleep  in  any  other 
place  in  Kirkwood.  You  need  n7t  think 
you  must  come  back  to  me,  Kelly.  1 7m 
used  to  being  alone  now.  If  those  folks 
will  keep  you,  don't  leave  7em.  They 
know  more  about  bringing  up  lads  right 
than  I  do.77 

The  last  sentences  were  uttered  slowly 
and  with  evident  effort. 

"I  sha7n't  do  any  such  thing.  I  shall 
stay  with  my  grandpa,  where  I  belong. 
What's  good  enough  for  him  is  good 
enough  for  me,77  said  Kelly  warmly. 

"My  lad,  my  own  lad,77  said  the  old 
man,  the  tears  coursing  down  his  cheeks. 
"You'll  stay  with  your  grandpa,  will 
you  ?  We  711  have  all  nice  here.  I  can 
put  the  glass  in,  and  make  things  good 


LOVE    AND   DUTY.  121 

as  new  right  off."  He  bustled  round  the 
room  as  he  spoke,  as  if  a  little  activity 
w;ere  all  that  was  needed  to  make  the 
hovel  a  palace.  Stopping  short  before 
Kelly,  he  looked  into  his  pleasant  face, 
and  said,  "It  does  me  good  to  see  the 
shine  in  your  eyes  once  more,  my  lad. 
It  lightens  me  up  to  hear  you  talk. 
Old  folks  need  young  folks  to  keep  them 
agoin7.  You  '11  stay  with  me,  my  lad, 
eh  ?" 

"  Yes,  grandpa,  and  I  '11  work  for  you 
too.  You  sha'n't  work  for  me  any 
more." 

"  Yes,  but  I  will,"  interrupted  the  old 
man;  "and  I've  been  savin'  for  you 
ever  since  I  went  away.  See  here. 
They  would  make  me  stay  round  at  the 
houses,  and  all  I  got  I  put  in  here. 
See." 

"Old  Nash "  opened  a  piece  of  a  hand 
kerchief,  in  which  was  tied  up  a  quan- 


122  KELLY   NASH. 

tity  of  small  silver  coins,  his  earnings  as 
a  basket-maker. 

"They  are  for  you,  Kelly,77  he  said 
eagerly;  "and  I'll  earn  more,  my  little 
lad.  I  have  n't  been  so  chirk  since  they 
laid  7em  side  by  side.77 

"  Old  Nash77  felt  the  new  affection  in 
Kelly7s  manner,  and  something  of  the 
sunshine  of  bygone  days  seemed  return 
ing  to  gladden  his  old  age. 

The  Ingalls  had  been  kind  to  Kelly ; 
they  had  risked  life  for  him ;  yet  to  none 
of  them  was  he  what  he  was  to  this  lonely 
old  man.  the  light  of  life,  the  apple  of 
the  eye.  He  knew  it,  he  felt  it  in  his 
inmost  heart.  That  heart  warmed  more 
and  more  to  the  simple  creature  who  had 
watched  over  his  childhood,  and  uttered 
not  one  complaint  for  the  lack  of  that 
affection  by  a  single  ray  of  which  he  was 
so  gladdened  and  cheered. 

"Yes,  I  will  stay  with  my  grandpa, 


LOVE   AND   DUTY.  123 

and  by  Grod's  help  I  will  so  walk  in  the 
way  of  life  that  I  may  lead  him  to  the 
heavenly  home.77  This  was  Kelly's  si 
lent  resolution,  a  resolution  made  deep 
down  in  his  soul. 


124  KELLY   NASH. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

A  TRYING  INTERVIEW. 

FARMER  DODKINS  was  walking  up  and 
down  the  wide  piazza  in   front  of  his 
house.    His  eye  wandered  over  the  broad 
fields  he  could  call  his  own.     He  had 
enough  and  to  spare,  and  yet  it  chafed 
him  that  the  mill  was  no  more  standing 
by  the  water-side,  bringing  in  its  yearl 
rent  in  "current  coin  of  the  realm.77    EG 
could  not  be  reconciled  to  his  loss.     He 
felt  he  had  a  right  to  be  put  out  about  it. 

While  the  stout  farmer  was  in  this 
mood,  he  spied  a  boy  coming  slowly 
along  the  lane  leading  to  his  house. 

"  Kelly  Nash,  I  declare!77  he  exclaim 
ed;  "coming,  I  dare  say,  with  a  pitiful 
story.  Lost  all  his  clothes  in  the  mill. 


A   TRYING   INTERVIEW.  125 

Out  of  a  place.  Not  a  dollar,  not  a  cent 
shall  he  have.  The  young  scamp !" 

As  the  farmer  thus  soliloquized,  he 
put  his  hands  tight  over  his  pockets,  as 
if  afraid  they  were  to  be  taken  by  storm, 
whether  he  would  or  no. 

There  was  the  very  person  Kelly 
wished  to  see,  alone  as  he  wished  to  find 
him  ;  yet  he  moved  slowly,  as  if  not  im- 

Jtient  for  the  interview. 
"What  do  you  want?"  harshly  called 
v«t   Mr.  Dodkins,   before  Kelly  had  a 
chance  to  begin  the  conversation. 

This  was  not  a  very  auspicious  com 
mencement  ;  but  Kelly  drew  a  few  steps 
nearer  before  he  said,  "I  came  here  to 
day,  sir,  to  tell  you  how  heartily  sorry 
^3  am  for  the  rude  way  in  which  I  treat 
ed  you  the  last  time  you  were  at  the 
mill.7' 

"  You  may  well  be  sorry,  you  young 
scamp,77  said  the  farmer,  growing  angry 


126  KELLY   NASH. 

at  the  remembrance  of  the  trick  played 
upon  him.  "If  the  mill  had  burned 
down,  I  should  have  known  you  had  a 
hand  in  it ;  but  I  suppose  you  could  n't 
help  the  flood.  They  that  are  born  to 
be  hanged  will  never  be  drowned.  I 
guess  that  was  what  saved  you.  No 
great  benefit  to  the  world,  I  'm  think 
ing." 

"  But  I  mean  to  be  of  some  use  in  the 
world,"  said  Kelly,  his  pleasant  temper 
not  at  all  ruffled  by  the  way  in  which 
his  apology  was  received.  "I  do  n't 
mean  to  be  the  Kelly  Nash  I  have  been ; 
so  I  thought  I  would  come  here  and  ask 
you  to  forgive  me.  and  try  to  start  all 


new." 


"  What  do  you  want  of  me  ?  What 
do  you  expect  me  to  do  for  you  ?"  asked 
the  farmer,  suspicious  that  this  was  some 
new  way  of  attacking  his  pockets. 

"I  want   nothing,   sir,  but  to  know 


A   TKYING-  INTERVIEW.  127 

that  you  forgive  me  for  my  rudeness  to 
you ;  and  if  you  can't  forgive  me,  I  must 
tell  you  how  sorry  I  am,  and  try  to  show 
you  some  day  that  I  am  getting  to  be  a 
better  boy." 

"I  don't  forgive  you,  that's  certain," 
said  farmer  Dodkins.  "I'm  too  much 
put  out  about  the  mill  to  be  pleased 
with  anybody  this  morning.  Think  of 
it.  Three  stories  high,  good  timber, 
good  machinery,  and  all  gone  in  a  single 
night !  It  is  enough  to  put  any  one  out 
of  temper." 

The  speakers  had  been  so  interested 
in  conversation,  that  they  had  not  per 
ceived  the  approach  of  John  Ingalls, 
who  now  joined  the  group. 

John  touched  his  hat  to  the  farmer, 
and  then  said,  "It  was  hard,  Mr.  Dod 
kins,  and  I  do  n't  wonder  you  feel  it  so ; 
so  much  property  swept  away  in  a  sin 
gle  night,  and  nobody  to  lay  the  blame 


128  KELLY  NASH. 

on  either.  But  there  ?s  another  way  of 
looking  at  it,  Mr.  Dodkins,  that,  may-be, 
you  never  thought  of.  I  reckon  all  the 
timber,  and  all  the  machinery,  and  all 
the  mills  in  the  world  are  not  worth 
speaking  of  in  comparison  with  one  hu 
man  soul,  that  will  go  on  living  for  ever, 
either  with  God  or  with  the  devil  and 
his  angels.  Now  this  boy  was  well  on 
the  way  to  ruin,  as  you  know  yourself. 
He  didrit  think.  He  didn't  care  what 
he  did,  or  what  end  he  came  to.  No 
good  end  you  thought  he  was  likely  to 
come  to,  I  reckon.  Well,  sir,  God  sent 
that  flood.  It  tore  away  your  mill,  but 
I  believe  it  saved  that  boy's  soul.  It  set 
him  face  to  face  with  de&th,  and  made 
him  think,  and  think  to  a  good  purpose. 
He 's  going  to  lead  a  new  life.  God 
helping  him,  I  feel  sure  he  '11  come  out 
right.  Now,  may -be,  when  we  all  stand 
before  that  great  white  throne  at  the 


A   TRYING   INTERVIEW.  129 

last  day,  it  wont  seem  much  to  you  that 
you  lost  your  mill,  when  that  boy's  soul 
goes  singing  into  glory." 

John  had  spoken  out  the  thoughts  that 
had  been  forced  on  his  mind  by  the 
words  of  the  farmer.  He  had  said  what 
he  believed  and  deeply  felt. 

This  was  a  new  view  of  the  case  to 
farmer  Dodkins.  He  looked  forth  again 
on  his  broad  fields.  He  yet  had  more 
than  he  could  use  or  enjoy.  John  had 
spoken  truly.  The  loss  of  the  mill  had 
indeed  been  great  gain. 

"I  forgive  you,  Kelly.  Gro  and  do 
better, "  said  the  farmer.  Then  turning 
to  John,  he  began  to  talk  of  some  cider 
barrels  which  the  cooper  was  to  make 
for  him,  as  freely  as  though  the  past  coiir 
versation  had  made  no  impression  upon 
him.  Yet  for  long  years  the  vision  of 
that  "great  white  throne,"  and  "the 
dead,  small  and  great,"  standing  around 


130  KELLY   NASH. 

it,  came  up  to  the  rich  man  in  the  silence 
of  night,  in  the  midst  of  his  cares,  and  in 
the  midst  of  his  plenty,  reminding  him  of 
the  worthlessness  of  all  things  earthly, 
compared  with  the  value  of  one  human 
soul. 


CONCLUSION.  131 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

JOHN  iNGALLS-was  in  his  cooper's  shop, 
working  away  as  busily  as  if  he  had 
never  had  a  higher  thought  than  the 
skilful  fashioning  of  staves  and  hoops. 
He  was  truly  as  "  diligent  in  business  " 
as  " fervent  in  spirit;'7  and  diligent  he 
meant  to  make  the  two  lads  who  were 
working  near  him. 

Kelly  and  Truman  were  learning 
John's  trade,  and  a  capital  trade  they 
had  pronounced  it  to  be.  A  pair  of  eyes 
had  been  intently  fixed  on  Kelly  as  he 
handled  his  tools ;  gentle  eyes  they  were, 
and  full  of  love. 

"  Old  Nash'7  had  been  sitting  silent  for 
a  whole  half  hour,  looking  at  Kelly  as  if 


132  KELLY   NASH. 

his  every  movement  had  for  him  a  charm. 
At  length  the  old  man  rose,  and  going 
up  to  Mr.  Ingalls,  he  said,  "  A  good  lad, 
eh  ?  Make  a  first-rate  cooper,  eh  ?" 

"  First-rate/7  said  John  pleasantly, 
stopping  his  work;  "and  a  first-rate 
Christian  man  too,  I  hope.", 

A  sound  of  a  horse's  hoofs  outside  the 
shop  interrupted  the  conversation.  A 
low  neigh  followed. 

11  That's  Mr.  Hilger's  white  horse/7 
exclaimed  Kelly.  "I  thought  the  step 
sounded  like  his*  Now  I  am  sure." 

Kelly  was  right.  The  white  horse  was 
tied  at  the  post  in  front  of  the  shop,  and 
the  miller's  short  fat  figure  soon  made 
one  of  the  group  within. 

"I've  a  bit  of  a  job  for  you,  John. 
Though  it  is  not  quite  in  your  line,  I 
think  you  will  do  it,"  said  Mr.  Hilger, 
taking  Ingalls  cordially  by  the  hand. 

"What  is  it?"  said  John.      "I'm  a 


CONCLUSION.  133 

sort  of  a  free  man,  now  I  have  the  boys 
to  do  the  work  of  the  shop." 

"Dodkins,"  said  the  miller,  "has  had 
alj  the  timber  saved  that  he  could  make 
sure  belonged  to  the  mill.  I  was  half 
put  out  with  him,  he  seemed  so  eager  to 
pick  up  every  stick.  But  it  do  n't  do  to 
judge  people  too  hard.  He  stopped  in 
at  our  house  just  now,  to  say  that  all  that 
timber  he  wanted  to  have  go  to  'Old 
Nash/  to  fix  up  his  house  and  make  it 
comfortable  for  the  .winter;  and  he 
thought  you  were  the  right  man  to  do  it, 
because  you  would  feel  an  interest  in  it." 

"  That  I  will,"  said  John  heartily. 

"Three  cheers  for  farmer  Dodkins," 
shouted  Kelly.  "Why,  grandpa,  we'll 
have  a  regular  snuggery  for  you,  as  tight 
as  a  barrel,  and  warm  as  an  apple-dump- 
ling." 

"Is  it  really  so,  John?"  said  "Old 
Nash,"  going  up  to  the  cooper's  side. 


184  KELLY   NASH. 

• 

"  Keally  so ;  and  I  am  glad  of  it  from 
my  soul,"  said  Mr.  Hilger. 

"How  kindly  God  cares  for  us.  old 
neighbor,"  said  John.  "We  have  bet 
ter  than  we  deserve  at  his  hands." 

"Better  than  we  deserve,"  repeated 
"Old  Nash"  thoughtfully.  "That's 
true,  better  than  we  deserve.  But  we 
are  trying;  a'n't  we,  Kelly?  Mr.  Hil 
ger,  you  can't  think  what  a  good  boy 
Kelly  is  now.  He  cares  for  his  old 
grandpa.  He 's  a  fine  little  lad.  That 
drowning  did  him  good." 

"  By  the  way,  John,"  said  Mr.  Hilger, 
"it's  about  what  '  Old  Nash'  calls  the 
'drowning'  that  I  want  to  talk  to  you. 
I  meant  what  I  said  when  I  promised 
you  should  have  my  white  horse  if  you 
saved  the  boy.  Whitey  is  at  the  door, 
yours  by  good  right.  I've  only  been 
waiting  to  have  a  new  saddle  to  go  with 
him,  before  I  handed  him  over." 


CONCLUSION.  135 

"I  don't  want  any  pay  for  what  I 
did/7  said  John  promptly.  "I'd  risk 
twice  the  danger  to  see  Kelly  alive  and 
what  he  is.  Bless  the  boy ;  he  and  Tru 
man  are  my  two  hands,  and  I  don't 
know  which  is  right  and  which  is  left. 
You've  had  your  own  losses,  Mr.  Hil- 
ger.  Keep  your  horse. " 

"Not  a  hair  of  him,"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Hilger.  " Didn't  I,  Kelly's  own  mas 
ter,  stand  on  the  shore  safe  and  sound, 
while  you  and  that  boy  of  yours  were 
near  dying  for  him  ?  I  say  I  ought  to 
have  my  share  in  what  you  did  for  him, 
somehow.  I  haven't  lost  any  thing 
worth  minding,  since  the  boy  was  saved. 
It  has  not  done  me  any  harm  not  to  be 
run  down  with  business  all  the  time. 
I  've  had  time  to  think.  I  tell  you, 
John,  I  was  n't  the  master  I  should  have 
been  to  Kelly.  It 's  not  teaching  a  boy 
his  work,  that 's  the  whole  thing  we  've 


136  KELLY   NASH. 

got  to  account  for.  I  felt  that,  when  I 
saw  him  hanging  there  just  ready  to 
drop  into  that  horrible  water.  I  knew 
I  hadn't  lifted  a  finger  to  lead  him  in 
the  right  way.  God  have  mercy  on  me. 
He  ?s  in  good  hands  now,  John.  You  711 
see  to  more  than  his  minding  his  tools. 
You  711  try  to  make  him  an  honest,  Chris 
tian  man  like  yourself.  Kelly,  take  that 
horse  and  lead  him  round  to  the  stable. 
Moolly  will  have  to  make  room  for  him. 
When  I  see  him  going  through  Kirkwood, 
I  hope  it  will  make  me  remember  what 
I  thought  that  awful  day  of  the  flood.77 

"What  a  mercy  it  is,  sir,  that  God 
sends  trouble  to  make  us  think  before  it 
is  too  late/7  said  John  solemnly. 

"  Old  Nash77  took  up  his  stick  sudden 
ly,  and  walked  slowly  away.  As  he 
passed  Mrs.  Ingalls7  door,  Annie  came 
running  out  with  a  basket  on  her  arm. 
"Here,  mother  has  put  up  some  dough- 


CONCLUSION.  137 

nuts  for  you.  Kelly  likes  them/7  she 
said,  as  she  placed  the  basket  in  his 
hand ;  "and  I  want  you  to  take  my  six 
pence  and  my  little  red  book  with  texts 
in  it.  Kelly  will  read  them  to  you. 
You  like  texts,  do  n't  you  ?77 

"Such  as  what?77  said  "Old  Nash/7 
looking  into  her  bright  young  face. 

"Why,  'Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy-laden,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest.7  '  God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  eternal  life.7  I  think  I 
like  that  the  best.77 

"Annie/7  said  the  old  man  almost  in 
a  whisper,  "Kelly  is  a  smart  lad,  and 
knows  more  than  his  grandpa ;  but  do  ii7t 
you  think  I  could  be  a  Christian  too? 
God  would  n7t  mind  my  being  '  Old  Nash/ 
would  he  ?77 

"Dear  'Old  Nash/77  said  Annie  fond- 


138  KELLY   NASH. 

ly,  "I  believe  G-od  loves  you  now;  and 
I  can  almost  hear  the  angels  singing  new 
songs,  because  they  are  so  glad  to  hear 
you  talk  so.  You  know  '  there  is  joy  in 
the  presence  of  the  angels  of  Grod  over 
one  sinner  that  repenteth.' 7: 

Joy  in  heaven  because  "  Old  Nash'7 
was  trying,  in  his  poor  simple  way,  to 
tread  the  narrow  path.  Wonderful  it 
seemed  to  the  tottering  old  man.  Could 
he  have  seen  Annie  Ingalls7  beaming 
face  as  her  eye  followed  his  retreating 
figure,  he  would  have  read  in  her  face 
joy — a  sure  evidence  of  that  greater 
gladness  which  one  penitent "  prayer 
awakes  in  the  angels  around  the  throne 
of  God. 


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